# Asleep?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 3, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874 "2003-05-03T16:38:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874/1 "2003-05-03T16:38:21Z")

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I just thought of this as I was going to bed last night. Why does the word “asleep” mean that one is in a state of sleeping? Doesn’t the prefix “a-” mean “without?” Amoral, atheist, etc… The only thing I can think of is that the word sleep actually means something different than how it’s commonly used. What’s the deal?

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874/2 "2003-05-03T16:52:59Z")

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I would tend to think that the word “asleep” is a contraction of ‘at sleep.’ Also think of such doggerel as people saying ‘someone’s a coming’ and the like.

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874/3 "2003-05-03T17:00:53Z")

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> **[Definition of a | Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/a-)**
>
> Definition of a from Dictionary.com, the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more.

> [@](#):
>
> a-2  
> pref.
> 
> 1. On; in: abed.
> 2. In the act of: aborning.
> 3. In the direction of: astern.
> 4. In a specified state or condition: abuzz.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874/4 "2003-05-03T17:03:11Z")

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My Am. Herit. computer dict. gives this for the 2nd meaning of “a-”:

a-2 pref. 1. On; in. 2. In the act of. 3. In the direction of. 4. In a specified state or condition.

So both 4 would seem to apply to “sleep”. Some examples of each (?):

1. Abed, atop.
2. Awakening.
3. Astern.
4. Asleep.

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**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asleep/172874/5 "2003-05-03T17:31:01Z")

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In the sense of “in the act of”, just think of all the folk songs about

“As I was a walking one May MOnday morning…”