How to parse. ...

216

[Par. 427, 428.

427 " A " is used before " dozen," " hundred," " thousand," "million," "few," " great many; " all these
words being half Nouns, inasmuch as they are preceded by "a," and half Adjectives, inasmuch as
they are not followed by " of." See Par. 193.
Anomalous uses of " a," or rather of Numerals
preceded by "a," arose very early:"A(n) 5 mile;" "a(n) 2 furlong; " a(n) seven
mile;" "a(n) twelve year."
Here, as in "a sennight (seven-night)," "a fortnight (fourteen-night)," (Shakspeare uses " one
seven years"), the Numeral and the Noun seem to
form a Singular Compound Noun. But we sometimes meet with " a nine, or a ten, of men," where
the Numeral by itself is treated as a Noun.
428 "A " appears to have (but has not) the meaning
of "one" in(1) "Five-pence a quart," "a year," "a man."
For in Early English the Preposition "on," "in,"
or " an" was used in such cases:(2) "Once in or on the year;" "I fast twice in
the week; " "if he sin against thee' on day
seven times."
Hence "a" must here be regarded as an old
Preposition.