In a state of watching or vigilance; on watch; obsolete or dialectal form.
From ā- prefix + watch (Old English 'wæccan,' meaning 'to be awake' or 'observe,' from Germanic roots). The prefix indicates a state of alertness.
The ā- prefix let medieval English speakers turn verbs into state-descriptions—'awatch' meant you were in a condition of watching, similar to how 'ablaze' means in a state of burning.
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