[Grammar] How does the "to" work grammatically?

Status
Not open for further replies.

seanb

New member
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Hello. I'm now reading the prefatory verse of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and have a question about its grammar:-?

Here is the text.
en.wikisource.org/wiki/All_in_the_Golden_Afternoon

4th stanza 1st line.

>Anon, to sudden silence won,

I think it means "soon, suddenly silence occupied." and I'd like to know what the role of "to" is in the phrase.

In my openion it is "to" for consequence. For example : He survived, to the amazement of surgeons. However it cannot be allowed to use past tense form (won) in a noun phrase. So I think the "won" is a past participle which modifies "silence" like : to sudden silence (which was) won:roll:

Let me know. Thank you very much!
 
Last edited:

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
They were won over to a sudden silence???
 

seanb

New member
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Thanks for your response;-)
It seems difficult even for native English speaker!
Carroll must have made it enigmatic on purpose, hehe:cool:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top