Eighteenth Century Collections Online Sample from 1750

The results from the Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) Database for 1750 returned a consistent variety in the forms of cheap used and seen in the 1715 sample. However, in this year, I was able to find uses of cheap as an adverb which was not seen in past centuries. This indicated, to me, that the verb and adjective use were becoming increasingly common in the language thus allowing for a hybrid of the two to form. Again, there were increased occurances of the verb use in comparison to the 17th century and the meanings associated, to the verbs, remained consistent to the samples found in EBBO and the 1715 sample. The adjective uses also remained relatively consistent in meaning with the variety found in the 1715 sample. I chose a majority of adjective and verb samples where the uses seemed most closely related to the new adverb form to represent my hypothesis that the two forms present in past centuries were responsible in the formation of the new form. I also made sure to include at least one use of the adjective with the increasingly negative meaning as representation that the adjective continued in this part of the century to become more negative.

Author Title Pub. Place Passage Image/Page Number Definition
Anon. The adventures of Mr. Loveill London, England "Mrs. Conquest, to whom our lover paid his address the whole evening, was one of those women who have been told they are the greatest beauties of the age, till they believe it. She deserv'd all the civil things that cou'd be said of her person: but she knew she had a right to them, and receiv'd them as the payment of a debt, not as a bounty: and consequently, though she would have held the man very cheap who offer'd them too cooly, yet she allow'd it as no merit in him who deliver'd them ever so sensibly." i.238 p.224 Accounted of small value, made little of, lightly esteemed; esp. brought into contempt through being made too familiar. (adjective)
Madam de Pompadour Advice to a female friend. London, England "I have seen some very pretty Women upon our Walks, who had been admir'd, and follow'd for some Months, and who were no longer look'd upon, because they had, by being to lavish of their Figure, made it too cheap to the public Eye. Things, upon Acquaintance with them, lose of their Value, whilst those that are rare, and held up, beget a Sort of Veneration." i.24 p.10 Accounted of small value, made little of, lightly esteemed; esp. brought into contempt through being made too familiar. (adjective)
Balguy, John Twenty sermons London, England "And when he is brought to this Pass, he must necessarily either work, or do worse: It is not likely that he will even then take up with working, as having been accustomed to Idleness. And thus he naturally falls to stealing, as the likeliest Method to supply his Wants, in an easy and cheap Way. Hereby he thinks he can gratify his Sloth, and at the same Time reap the Fruits of other Mens Labour." i.162 p.160 Costing little labour, trouble, effort, etc.; easily obtained. (adjective)
Barnard, John Considerations on the proposal for reducing the interest on the national debt. London, England "Money may be borrowed, and applied to that Purpose, this very Year: And as Money will naturally grow more plentiful and cheap every Year; so that, in very few Years, the whole unsubscribed Debt, however large it may be, will, in all Probability, be paid off." i.21 p.20 Applied to money obtainable at a low rate of interest. (adjective)
Beare, William Turnus and drances London, England "One wou'd imagine the Poet needed no other Temptation to induce him to pay those Honours to the Living, than the high Value Men wou'd naturally set upon the Compliment of being allotted a Place in such a Poem on so interesting a Subject: and what Reason can be alledg'd, why he shou'd refuse to gratify their Vanity in this Respect, since characters from real Life might be had at as cheap a Rate as from Fiction" i.6 p.6 Costing little labour, trouble, effort, etc.; easily obtained. (adjective)
Anon. Leisure hours amusements for town and country London, England "Don Fernando, being sharp-sighted and artful, suspected and feared no less, knowing that I was obliged, as a faithful Servant, not to conceal from my Lord and Master the Duke, a matter so prejudicial to his Honour: and therefore, to amuse and deceive me, he said that he knew no better Remedy for effacing the Remembrance of the Beauty that had so captivated him, than to absent himself for some Months; and this Absence, he said, should be effected by our own going together to my Father's House, under Pretence, as he would tell the Duke, of feeing and cheapening some very fine Horses in our Town, which produces the best in the World." i.80 p.57 To bargain for, ask the price of, bid for offer a price for. (verb)
Kimber, Edward The life and adventures of Joe Thompson. London, England "Old Mother Damnable received us with great Affection of Compaisance, and calling us her Chikdren, the usual Cant, saluted us severally with a Pair of Lips, that expelled a Breath equalled by nothing but the cadaverous Scent of a putrified Carcase, and had almost prejudiced me against the Goods we were going to cheapen." i.113 p.87 To bargain for, ask the price of, bid for offer a price for. (verb)
Ellis, William The country housewife's family companion London, England "A Barley-Meal Pudding as made by the Country Housewife, a Farmer's Wife. - This pudding is made with such cheap, wholesome, and palatable Ingredients, that it may justly be called a right Country Housewife's Pudding, as being composed with those things that stand the Teoman or Farmer in but little, because they are commonly ready provided in the House, and of his own Produce." i.38 p.26 That may be bought at small cost; bearing a relatively low price; inexpensive. Opposed to dear. (adjective)
Franklin, Benjamin Reflections on courtship and marriage Philadelphia, America "A Wife that is desirous of maintaining herself in the Affections of a Man of Sense and Spirit, should take as much Care of the Neatness of her Person, as if she was to be every Day a bride; and whoever neglects this Conduct, must blame themselves, if their Husbands grow cool and indifferent; for it has a natural Tendency to make a Man so. It debases the Character of a Wife, and renders her cheap and unlovely." i.58 p.48 Low, poor, disparaging. (adjective)
Anon. A letter to a Member of Parliament London, England "I do not apprehend there is Room to fear, or that this would extend the Trade too far, or that the public Encouragement would amount or swell to too great a Sum; for tho' there should be many private Adventurers besides the Company, the Field is large, and when the Fish are rendered cheap by being penty, the Consumption would greatly increase both at home and abroad" i.38 p.40 At a low price, at small expense, cheaply; with little trouble, easily. (adverb)