a-back vs around

a-back

prep
  • behind, at the back 

around

prep
  • Centred upon; surrounding. 

  • Forming a circle or closed curve containing (something). 

  • At or to various places within. 

  • Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point. 

  • Near; in the vicinity of. 

  • Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve. 

adj
  • Present in the vicinity. 

  • Alive; existing. 

adv
  • Used with verbs to indicate repeated or continuous action, or in numerous locations or with numerous people. 

  • So as to partially or completely rotate; so as to face in the opposite direction. 

  • From place to place. 

  • From one state or condition to an opposite or very different one; with a metaphorical change in direction; bringing about awareness or agreement. 

  • Nearly; approximately; about. 

  • So as to surround or be near. 

  • So as to form a circle or trace a circular path, or approximation thereof. 

  • Used with certain verbs to suggest unproductive activity. 

How often have the words a-back and around occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )