A prefix in well over 200 verbs and participles, thirteen gerunds usu. derived from the verbs, and eleven nouns. The prefix has two primary meanings: (a) In the great majority of the verbs and gerunds and all but one of the nouns the prefix has the sense of separation, division, pulverization, or destruction, with glosses like 'apart, ' 'asunder, ' 'to pieces.' Approximately one third of the relevant verbs and all of the nouns are derived from OE: for example, the frequently attested verbs, used throughout the period, tobreken, tobresten, tocleven, todelen, todreven, todriven, tofallen, toheuen, torenden, tosheden, toshenden, toshiften, toteren (2), and totreden; the infrequently attested verbs, primarily early, tocheuen, tofaren, toferen (1), toferen (2), toflen, tofleten, toflouen, toisheden, toknouen, tolithen, toresen (2), tosheten, tosliften, tostonden (2), towaxen, towherven, towitheren, and toyeten; and the nouns, all early but one, toborstennisse, todel, todrevednesse, toished, tolætenisse, tolisnisse, tosetnesse, tostenchednesse, toworpennisse, and toyotenesse. The rest of the verbs and all of the gerunds with this sense of the prefix are ME formations. The verbs range from the infrequently attested toclouten, todelven, todisten, togirden, togniden, tognodden, togrinden, toheden, tohurten, tomurten, toplicchen, toquecchen, toscailen, tosheren, toslateren, tosparplen, tospateren, tosterten, totiren, towarplen, and towrien to the frequently attested todashen, todrauen, tofrushen, tognauen, and toshiveren, and they illustrate that to- in this sense was an active prefix throughout the ME period, though less so in the fifteenth than in the earlier centuries. The gerunds are derived either from verbs newly formed in ME or from verbs with OE originals: tobreiding, tobreking(e, tobrosing, todelinge, todightinge, todrauinge, tofallinge, torending, totering(e (2), and totreding. (b) In many other verbs, some participles, a few gerunds, and one noun the prefix has the sense of intensity or emphasis, with glosses like 'greatly, ' 'severely, ' 'excessively, ' 'completely.' Nearly all of these are ME formations, and though they are either infrequently or only moderately attested, they nevertheless illustrate that the prefix was also active in this sense during the ME period: for example, the verbs tobellen, tobenden, tobisten, tocracchen, todereinen, todiminuen, todinen, togabben, togreven, toharwen, tohenen, tolaughen, topreven, toshrapen, tosprengen, toswelten, tosweten (1), tosweten (2), totraien, towalten, and towurthen; the participles toclose, todrunke, toflonge, and topined; and the gerunds tocriing and tostiring. Only a few verbs and the one noun come directly from OE: the verbs tobeten (freq. attested), toholden, toswellen (freq. attested), tothinden, and totorven, and the noun tothundennisse. The sense of intensity or emphasis can already be seen in OE in verbs of increasing, enlarging, or swelling (e.g., toætican, toswellan, toþindan, and perh. tobrædan) and in verbs that were, in their simplexes, without degree or unqualifiable in meaning (e.g., todreosan, todwinan, and toslean), and in others it is used alongside the sense of separation or pulverization (e.g., toblawan and prob. tobeatan and tosceacan). Some ME verbs also use both the separative and the intensifying senses of the prefix, e.g., tobiten, tofreten, toflappen, toquaken, toshaken, toslen, and tostiren; and in some others it is ambiguous which of the two senses is involved, e.g., tobouen (b), tofien, toleven, tominishen, and toraggen. The intensifying sense of the prefix was reinforced by the existence of to adv.(2) with the same meanings; indeed, many of the ME verbs prob. developed from the placement of this adverb just before the verb. It was also reinforced by the redundancy that resulted when the separative sense of the prefix appeared in combination with simplexes that already had the sense of separation (e.g., tobreken, tobresten, todelen, and toteren (2) from OE), which would have led to the perception that the prefix had merely an intensifying force in these verbs. As in OE, the prefix could also be added to simplexes that were without degree or unqualifiable in meaning, e.g., todestroien, tomelten, toquellen, and towasten. In both its senses to- pref.(2) frequently renders the Latin prefix com-, con-, as in tobrisen, toderknen, tomeven, tominishen, topingen, toroten, and totroublen. (c) Verbs and participles with this prefix were freq. preceded, and their meanings reinforced, by al adv. used as an intensifier (cp. al adv. 2.), with the result that the combination al + to came to be perceived as a compound adverb in its own right (see al-to adv.). When the combination appears in ME, it is difficult to decide whether it is to be interpreted as al adv. plus the prefixed form of the verb or as al-to adv. plus the simple form of the verb. Separate entries have been given only for those words that are attested without a preceding al, but the examples with al have been included in those entries. If, however, a to- word is attested only with a preceding al, it will be treated under al-to adv. in the Supplement. In the entries that follow, if a word has two senses, one from to- pref.(1) and the other from to- pref.(2), it has been made into two separate entries if the etymon for each is different, ME for the first and OE for the second; the relevant words are: tobore ppl. & toberen v., tosetten v.(1) & (2), tostonden v.(1) & (2), toten v.(2) & (3), towenden v.(1) & (2), and toyede v.(1) & (2). If, however, there is only one etymon (ME in all cases but one), then only one entry is given, with the senses divided by number or letter; the relevant words are: tobouen v. (a) & (b), tocasten v. (a) & (b), todighten v. 1. & 2., tolien v. (a) & (b), totighten v. 1. & 2., toturnen v. (a) & (b), and towiten v. (a) & (b).