A derivational prefix which appears in more than 70 words inherited from OE: oferhudiȝen, ofermetto, oferten, overdriven, overet, overgangen, overhelen v.(2), overhoue, oversitten, oversleie, overswithe, overtreden, etc. The great majority of these were verbs or nouns. Some faded early in ME, while others flourished, acquiring additional meanings not attested in OE; e.g., overgon, overrennen, oversitten. About 500 words with over- pref. appear to be new formations in ME: overaboundaunt, overbisili, overbroue, overcarien, overcasuelli, overcouchen, overcovering, overdel, overdrede, overheigh, overhongen, overkerven, overlaunchen, overpain, overprolixe, overputten, overskippen, oversterten, overstout, overswete, overvein, overwalten, overwaxen, overwenden, overwered, overwerken, etc. One of the over- words is a borrowing from MLG: overloppe n. In ME the parts of speech most prolific in the spawning of new over- words were the adjectives, the verbs, and the adverbs, in that order. The principal functions of the pref. were as follows: To make nouns from other nouns: ofermedo, overmuche, overston, etc.; also to be found in some nouns based on adjectives or verbs, in which a suffix actually makes the word: overthwartnes, overvoidnes, overgoer, overlokere, etc. To make adjectives from other adjectives: overblak, overexcellent, overstreit, etc.; also from participles: overaged, overwroth, etc.; also to be found in a few adjectives made directly from noun or verb stems without affixation, or based on nouns or verbs but actually made by a suffix: overdede, overgart, overcomable, etc. To make adverbs from other adverbs: overardauntli, overgretli, overscarsli, overtit, etc.; rarely from nouns: overcepe, overdel, etc.; also found in adverbs based on adjectives or participles, in which the actual formative element of the word is a suffix: overthwertli, overpassingli, etc.; and in phrases in which over prep. has been reduced to a prefix: overmesure, overmight, etc. To make verbs from other verbs: ofersimen, overbreden, overhien, overrechen, etc.; very rarely from a noun: overslamen; also appearing at least once in a verb based on an adj. or adv., in which the real formative element is a suf.: overthwerten. To make a gerund from, or related to, a verb: overgilding, overhiȝinge, overpreisunge, etc.; less frequently from other gerunds: overblissing, overshadewinge, etc. To make participles from other ppls.: overengrossed, overlaȝand, oversturet, etc.; rarely from an otherwise attested verb: overthrouinge. In translated works, over- not infrequently renders a Latin superlative. Some idea of the variety of senses which may be imparted by an over- pref. can be had from the tabulation below. It is often difficult to determine how much of the sense is imparted by the pref. and how much is inherent in the word to which it is added. The commonest senses are: 'upper', as in overdose, overlether, overshete, etc.; 'above, over, above or on the surface'; also 'upward, up over': oferwerc, overbledde, overclosen, overgon 1.(a), etc.; 'outer, on the outside, externally': overclothen, overseminge, overslippe, etc.; 'across, over, through': overfleer, overriden, overswimmen, overwaden, etc.; the same, with an implication of completeness or thoroughness: overreden v.(1), oversechen, overstudien, etc.; the same, with implication of haste, disregard, or omission: overhippen, overpassen lb. (a-d), overreder, overskippinge, etc.; the same, fig., implying change or transformation: overcasten 2b., overchaunginge, overturninge 2., etc.; 'from above, down upon or toward, downward, down': overdelven, overfallen (a), overhelden, overshinen, etc.; 'over or across and downward': overbord, overpullen, overturnen 2., etc.; the same, implying reversal of position, inversion: overblenchen, overturnen 3., overwhelven 1.(a), etc.; 'beyond' in space: overplaunten, overse, overshippen, etc.; 'through' in time, 'during': overnight, overyer; 'beyond' in time, 'after, past': overbileven, overnon, overpassen 4a. & 4b., overundern, etc.; the same, implying delay, neglect, or disregard: overbiden (c), overputten (a), oversliden (b), etc.; 'away, off, out'; also 'out of existence, to destruction': oferȝitolnesse, overbrennen (a), overscapen, overthoued, etc.; 'additional(ly, in addition, extra': overgavel, overlond, overordeinen, etc.; 'superior, surpassing(ly, by greater power or quality', often implying victory, defeat, conquest, capture, etc.; also 'exceeding(ly, complete(ly': oferplentefous, oferswithen, overcarken (a), overexcellentli, overmirthen, overnimen, etc.; 'excessive(ly, immoderate(ly'; also 'oppressive(ly, utterly': oferetel, oferslæp, overbold, overchaufen, overfeue, overhouen, overoften, oversterne, overwerien, etc.; 'again, once more, back': overrecoveren, oversen 5., etc.; 'against, in opposition': overgoinge (b), overthinken, overthwert adj. 2., etc.; roughly equivalent to un- or dis-: overtrouable, overtrouen v.(1), etc.; as a mechanical transl. of L super- or trans-: overcomen 6., overleden 2.(d), overpassinge (c), etc. The most frequent sense is 'excessive(ly', etc., about 42 percent of the over- words; the second, 'superior', etc., about 15 percent the third, 'above', etc., between 11 and 12 percent; the fourth, 'across', etc. (not including the special uses which follow), about 7 percent. Many words treated as prefixed compounds in MED might also be parsed as combinations of over adv. and a following adjective or adverb.