Meaning & Analysis
To have so much of something that its quantity is judged by sight alone rather than by precise counting or measurement, implying a great and unmeasured abundance.
Insights
Vast Abundance
The phrase metaphorically signifies immense wealth or surplus. Possessing something 'by the eye' means having it in such vast quantities that meticulous accounting becomes unnecessary, symbolizing a state of overflowing plenty.
Perception of Value
It suggests that value and sufficiency can be subjective. What appears abundant 'by the eye' is a matter of perception, highlighting that the impression of wealth is as important as its actual measured value.
Effortless Control
The proverb can imply a casual, almost effortless command over resources. Having so much of something that it doesn't need to be counted suggests a level of security and power where precision is irrelevant.
Historical Commercial Context
The proverb reflects a pre-modern commercial context where wealth was often assessed visually rather than by precise, standardized measurement. It evokes a world of marketplaces and storehouses where abundance was demonstrated through conspicuous, uncounted piles of goods.
Linguistic Evolution
This phrase is now archaic, highlighting a shift in language as material practices evolve. While the concept of abundance is timeless, this specific expression, tied to visual estimation, has faded, replaced by modern metaphors for wealth.
Psychology of Perception
The expression taps into the psychological power of visual evidence. Seeing a vast quantity of something creates a more potent impression of wealth and security than a numerical account, emphasizing the human tendency to be influenced by perceived rather than measured value.
Literary Resonance
Its use in Marlowe's 'Jew of Malta' links the proverb to literary themes of immense, almost ostentatious wealth and the grand promises it enables. It captures a sense of overflowing, theatrical abundance.
Rhetorical Devices
Synecdoche
The 'eye' serves as a synecdoche, where the organ of sight represents the entire process of visual assessment and the resulting conclusion of immense, unmeasured quantity.
Idiomatic Expression
The expression is highly idiomatic; its meaning of 'abundance' is not transparent from the literal words and relies on a shared cultural understanding of visual estimation as a marker of surplus.
Concrete Imagery
The phrase uses a concrete physical action—visual appraisal—to convey the abstract concept of abundance, making the idea more tangible and impactful.
Transcription
Quotations
Assure thyself thou shalt have broth by the eye: My purse, my coffer, and myself is thine.
Here's Money, and Gold by th' eye my boy.
Explanation
[To have in abundance.]
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.