come January

[Rover_KE]

come = preposition? No?

YES!

come

preposition


informal

• when a specified time is reached or event happens:I don‘t think that they’ll be far away from honours come the new season

(OED)

Cf 'by January'/'from January'.

Rover

[Frank Antonson]

The OED is certainly an impressive source.

But, I would like to point out that it IS a British source, and in American terminology I have never seen "come" considered to be a preposition -- not that I have looked deeply.

Probably the OED gives a history and an etymology for that use of "come" -- as well as contexts.

"From" and "by" are quite different, in that they are never verbs. The prepositions "down" and "off" can sometimes be verbs -- but transitive ones.

[corum]

I have never seen "come" considered to be a preposition -- not that I have looked deeply.

Probably the OED gives a history and an etymology for that use of "come" -- as well as contexts.

"From" and "by" are quite different, in that they are never verbs.

Definition of including preposition from Cambridge Dictionary Online: Free English Dictionary and Thesaurus

[Frank Antonson]

Sorry Corum,

I don't know what you mean by this.

In those 11 pages of entries is there something about "come" as a preposition?

Frank

[Frank Antonson]

"Harmon and House" describes a class of prepositions that come from verbs, but they always use the "-ing" inflection, e.g. "Regarding this matter" the OED might be wrong.

[Tdol]

YES!



Rover

That's interesting- thanks. The SOED doesn't give it as a preposition (unless I have missed it)

[Johnson_F]

" come - when a specified time is reached or event happens: I don‘t think that they’ll be far away from honours come the new season" preposition - informal . This comes from:
definition of come from Oxford Dictionaries Online

The 2nd edition of the OED lists 74 senses of 'come' as a verb, none of that word as a preposition.

In sense 35, 'come' "is used in such phrases as 'come what may, or will'. "
In sense 36.a, 'come' "is used with a future date following as subject ...'eighteen years old come Martinmas, - come Easter; i.e. let Easter come, when Easter shall come. arch. and dial."

[Raymott]

I always assumed 'come' was a past participle here.
"January having/being come ... "
This is analogous to "That given ... as in "That given, I think we can all agree", meaning, "Given that ...; Now that that is given ..."
"Come January ..." = "When January has come ..."
"Come the revolution, intellectuals will be the first to go" - "Once the revolution has come..."

[corum]

"Harmon and House" describes a class of prepositions that come from verbs, but they always use the "-ing" inflection, e.g. "Regarding this matter" the OED might be wrong.

Or "Harmon and House".

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...tml#post686834

[Frank Antonson]

Yes, Harmon and House may be wrong -- or I may be misunderstanding what they say wrongly.

I will readily grant you that considering "come" as a preposition easily solves the problem (You could say that that is what it has arrived at). But where did it COME from? What is its etymology? I asked a Latin teacher (whom I respect immensely) about this, and he immediately said "subjunctive" -- even though he was not familiar with the future subjunctive of Portuguese.

Where do we go from here, in this discussion? I guess I want to see the history of "come" as a preposition. I think I am better prepared to show the history of "Come January" as subjunctive, but it may take way more scholarly activity than I am willing to undertake.

Frank