Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Of
Of
(ŏv)
, p
rep.
[AS.
of
of, from, off; akin to D. & OS. af
, G. ab
off, OHG. aba
from, away, Icel., Dan., Sw., & Goth. af
, L. ab
, Gr. [GREEK], Skr. apa
. Cf. Off
, A-
(2), Ab-
, After
, Epi-
.] In a general sense, from, or out from; proceeding from; belonging to; relating to; concerning; – used in a variety of applications; as:
1.
Denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating origin, source, descent, and the like;
as, he is
of
a race of kings; he is of
noble blood.That holy thing which shall be born
of
thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke i. 35.
I have received
of
the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. 1 Cor. xi. 23.
2.
Denoting possession or ownership, or the relation of subject to attribute;
“Poor of spirit.” as, the apartment
of
the consul: the power of
the king; a man of
courage; the gate of heaven
. Macaulay.
3.
Denoting the material of which anything is composed, or that which it contains;
as, a throne
of
gold; a sword of
steel; a wreath of
mist; a cup of
water.4.
Denoting part of an aggregate or whole; belonging to a number or quantity mentioned; out of; from amongst;
as,
of
this little he had some to spare; some of
the mines were unproductive; most of
the company.It is
of
the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. Lam. iii. 22.
It is a duty to communicate
of
those blessings we have received. Franklin.
5.
Denoting that by which a person or thing is actuated or impelled; also, the source of a purpose or action; due to;
as, they went
of
their own will; no body can move of
itself; he did it of
necessity.For it was
of
the Lord to harden their hearts. Josh. xi. 20.
6.
Denoting reference to a thing; about; concerning; relating to;
as, to boast
. of
one's achievements; they talked of
many thingsKnew you
of
this fair work? Shakespeare
7.
Denoting nearness or distance, either in space or time; from;
as, within a league
of
the town; within an hour of
the appointed time.8.
Denoting identity or equivalence; – used with a name or appellation, and equivalent to the relation of apposition;
as, the continent
of
America; the city of
Rome; the Island of
Cuba.9.
Denoting the agent, or person by whom, or thing by which, anything is, or is done; by.
And told to her
of
[by] some. Chaucer.
He taught in their synagogues, being glorified
of
all. Luke iv. 15.
[Jesus] being forty days tempted
of
the devil. Luke iv. 1, 2.
☞ The use of the word in this sense, as applied to persons, is nearly obsolete.
10.
Denoting relation to place or time; belonging to, or connected with;
as, men
of
Athens; the people of
the Middle Ages; in the days of
Herod.11.
Denoting passage from one state to another; from.
[Obs.]
“O miserable of happy.” Milton.
12.
During; in the course of.
Not be seen to wink
of
all the day. Shakespeare
My custom always
of
the afternoon. Shakespeare
☞ Of may be used in a subjective or an objective sense. “The love of God” may mean, our love for God, or God's love for us.
☞ From is the primary sense of this preposition; a sense retained in off, the same word differently written for distinction. But this radical sense disappears in most of its application; as, a man of genius; a man of rare endowments; a fossil of a red color, or of an hexagonal figure; he lost all hope of relief; an affair of the cabinet; he is a man of decayed fortune; what is the price of corn? In these and similar phrases, of denotes property or possession, or a relation of some sort involving connection. These applications, however all proceeded from the same primary sense. That which proceeds from, or is produced by, a person or thing, either has had, or still has, a close connection with the same; and hence the word was applied to cases of mere connection, not involving at all the idea of separation.
Of consequence
, of importance, value, or influence.
– Of late
, recently; in time not long past.
– Of old
, formerly; in time long past.
– Of one's self
, by one's self; without help or prompting; spontaneously.
Why, knows not Montague, that
England is safe, if true within itself?
of
itselfEngland is safe, if true within itself?
Shakespeare
Webster 1828 Edition
Of
OF
, prep. ov. [Gr.]1.
From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1Cor. 11.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Josh. 11.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lam. 3.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. 16.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2Chron. 34.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain;' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain;' that is, some from or out of others. 'I have known him of old, or of a child;' that is, from old times, from a child. 'He is of the race of kings;' that is, descended from kings. 'He is of noble blood or birth, or of ignoble origin.' 'No particle of matter, or no body can move of itself;' that is, by force or strength proceeding from itself, derived from itself.
'The quarrel is not now of fame and tribute, or of wrongs done;' that is, from fame or wrongs, as the cause, and we may render it concerning, about, relating to.
'Of this little he had some to spare;' that is, some from the whole. It may be rendered out of.
'Of all our heroes thou canst boast alone;' that is, thou alone from the number of heroes. This may be rendered among.
'The best of men, the most renowned of all;' that is, the best from the number of men, the most renowned from the whole; denoting primarily separation, like part.
'I was well entertained of the English Consul;' that is, entertained from the Consul; my entertainment was from the Consul. This use is obsolete, and we use by in lieu of it.
'This does of right belong to us;' that is, from right, de jure; our title proceeds from right.
'The chariot was all of cedar;' that is, made from cedar. So we say, made of gold, made of clay; an application corresponding with our modern use of from; manufactured from wool, or from raw materials. Hence we say, cloth consisting of wool. 'This is a scheme of his own devising;' that is, from his own devising or device. 'If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth;' that is, as from the ability, as the source of action.
'Of happy, he is become miserable;' that is, from happy; from being happy, he has passed to being miserable. 'Of necessity this must prove ruinous;' that is, from necessity, as the cause or source. 'Of a hundred take fifty;' that is, from a hundred, or out of a hundred, from among a hundred.
Of sometimes implies a part or share.
It is a duty to communicate of those blessings we have received.
From is then the primary sense of this preposition; a sense retained in off, the same word differently written for distinction. But this sense is appropriately lost in many of its applications; as a man of genius, a man of courage, a man of rare endowments, a fossil of a red color, or of a hexagonal figure. he lost all hope of relief. This is an affair of the cabinet. He is a man of decayed fortune. What is the price of corn? We say that of, in these and similar phrases, denotes property or possession, making of the sign of the genitive or possessive case. These applications, however, all proceeded from the same primary sense. That which proceeds from or is produced by a person, is naturally the property or possession of that person, as the son of John; and this idea of property in the course of time would pass to things not thus produced, but still bearing a relation to another thing. Thus we say, the father of a son, as well as the son of a father. In both senses, other languages also use the same word, as in the French de, de la, and Italian di, dell. Of then has one primary sense, from, departing, issuing, proceeding from or out of, and a derivative sense denoting possession or property.