a-hungered, ppl. a. arch.
(əˈhʌŋgəd)
[perh. representing a lost OE. a-hyngred (cf. Germ. erhungert), or a later formation with a- prefix 1 intensive; but more probably a later form of of-hungered, OE. of-hyngred, pa. pple. of vb. of-hyngran to suffer hunger, be weak with hunger, be very hungry. Cf. afingered. By confusion of a- 2 and a- 3, the prefix was sometimes expanded to an-, on-; cf. a-high, an-hungered.]
Oppressed with hunger; very hungry.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. x. 59 Bothe afyngred [v.r. a-hungred, an-hungred] and a-thurst [v.r. a-thrust, a-thrist, a-furst], and for chele quake. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. xxv. (1495) 429 Alwaye he is a hungryd whyle he liuyth. 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. (R.) When their eies were ful they put vp theire kniues and rose ahungred. 1820 Keats Hyperion ii. 163 Saturn's ear Is all a-hunger'd. 1868 Geo. Eliot Sp. Gipsy ii. 194 Soothe the frightened bird And feed the child a-hungered. |