on - From Ulster to America
Source: From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English
Author: Michael Montgomery
Comments: From Ulster to America recounts the lasting impact eighteenth-century settlers from Ulster have made on the development of the English language of the United States. The book documents over 500 vocabulary items contributed to American English by these ‘Scotch-Irish’ settlers. Each ‘shared’ term with its meaning is authenticated by quotations from both sides of the Atlantic. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from the dictionary part of the second edition published by the Ullans Press in 2017.
on prep Used after a verb to express an occurrence that is unfortunate, harmful, disadvantageous, or beyond one’s control (especially in phrase die on).
Ulst.:
1930 McCurry Ulster Village 102 Well, sir, he niver done any good afther it. The cattle died on him one afther the other, an’ that very day year the horse he was on missed his fut, an’ he fell off it, an’ broke his neck.
1953 Traynor Donegal Glossary 202 = against, to the disadvantage of.
1983 Marshall Drumlister 75 Calves died on me, too, in the springtime.
2014 Fenton Hamely Tongue 167 Somebody stole it on me; The car broke doon on me.
U.S.:
1931 Maxfield Speech SW Penn 20 His wife died on him.
1960 Campbell Birth Natl Park 60 Asked later about the health of ‘Mrs. Henry Ford [= Wiley Oakley’s daughter]’, Wiley sadly announced, ‘She died out on me’.
1979 Carpenter Walton War 172 When my cow up and died on me, hit wuz a main blow.
