APPENDIX V.

EN.

Reference to the derivation of this word will do much to remove the difficulty attending a clear understanding of its various functions.

EN, PREPOSITION, from the Latin in, offers no stumbling-block save in its second use = "as" or "like."

Eg., Esth. l. 1192: on va donner en spectacle = "as a spectacle."

l. 174; il nous croit en horreur = "he thinks us an object of horror." Cf. also l. 246 and l. 1177.

In Corneille's "Le Cid" (l. 318) vivre en infâme = "to live [as] an infamous man."

ii.

EN, CONJUNCTIVE PRONOUN, from the Latin inde ("hence," "from that," etc.) is used:

A. As an ordinary genitive = "of" or "from it, him," "her," "them," etc.

B. As a partitive accusative; as we might say in English: "I will take of that."

These two uses are too frequent to require illustration.

C. With the force of "on account of that," "for that," when it is not always to be translated in English.

E.g., Esth. l. 234: Nous n'en verrons pas moins, etc. = "none the less [for that]." Cf. also l. 630.

l. 934: . . . _et j'en frémis = "I shudder at the sight," lit., "because of this," viz., because this man is Haman.

l. 1082: Les Juifs . . . en poussèrent des cris, i.e. on account of this promise of mildness given by the king.

D. In a number of expressions where, from constant use, it has become, so to speak, stereotyped:

E.g., l. 1144: J'en atteste = "I call to witness [for the truth of this] . . ."

l. 1162: C'en est fait = "It is all over [with my pride]." Cf. l. 164, where c'en est fait d'Israël would be equally correct.

l. 820: Il n'en est pas ainsi de = "such is not the case with."

E. In a few semi-idiomatic expressions, with a generalizing force due to the broadening of the meaning "on account of this," "in this matter," into that of "in any matter."

Eg., l. 375: on s'en peut reposer sur ma foi = "I am ever to be trusted."

Cf. Si vous m'en croyez = "If you will be guided by me."

NOTE. This generalization mainly results in a figurative force; E.g., En venir à = "to be reduced to;" en passer par là = "to have to submit to that."