ENOUGH.
(Vol. vii., p. 455.)
This word, when written or pronounced enow, is regarded as a plural, and relates to number. In this sense it is employed in Northampton and other Midland counties, and is found in old writers. If the word was always pronounced enow, it must be long since. The distinction above hinted at prevailed in Waller's time, and he conforms to it in the examples quoted. Butler, in Hudibras, has both:
"This b'ing professed we hope enough,
And now go on where we left off.'
Part i. canto 2. 44.
Again, line 1153. of the same canto:
"For though the body may creep through,
The hands in grate are enough;"
an apparent exception, but not really such. (See also canto 3. 117. 285., where it rhymes with "off," as also line 809. At line 739. it written enow, and rhymes with "blow.")
And again, 873:
"My loss of honour's great enough,
Thou needst not brand it with a scoff."
Other examples may be quoted from the same author.
In a song, written upon the Restoration of Charles II., we have the following:
"Were not contented, but grew rough,
As though they had not won enough."
Loyal Arms, vol. i. p. 244.
In the Lamentable Tragedy of Cambises, written early in the reign of Elizabeth, the word occurs:
"Gogs sides, knaves, seeing to fight ye be so rough,
Defend yourselves, for I will give ye bothe inough."
In Lusty Juventus, a Morality, temp. Edward VI., is the following:
"Call them Papistes, hipocrites, and joyning of the plough;
Face out the matter, and then good ynough."
Here certainly the distinction disappears, as in the next and last example from Candlemas Day, "Ao. Do. 1512," where Joseph is speaking:
"Take hym in your armys, Mary, I you pray,
And of your swete mylke let him sowke inowe,
Mawger Herowd and his grett fray:
And as your spouse, Mary, I shall go with you."
It would seem therefore, that this word has had its present pronunciation about three centuries.
Its derivation is directly from the Saxon genoh, but the root is found in many other languages, as the German, Dutch, Danish, &c.
B. H. C.
Mr. Wright supposes there has been a change in the pronunciation of this word, and inquires when it took place. Now, if my conjecture be correct, there may have been no change, and these are two words,—not one pronounced differently. Both the instances quoted by him are in conformity with my opinion, viz. that where the sense is "a sufficient quantity," either in substance, quality, or action, we should make use of enough; yet where a sufficient number is intended, we should pronounce and write enow. I recollect (being a native of Suffolk) that I was laughed at by the boys of a school in a western county, nearly seventy years ago: but I was not then laughed out of my word, nor am I likely now to be argued out of it.
P.S.—I see that Johnson's Dictionary gives the same statement about enough and enow. This answer is therefore superfluous. Johnson gives numerous instances of the use of enow from our best authors.
H. C. R.