Middle English Dictionary Entry
among(es adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | among(es adv. Also amang, amonkes, emang, emaung, imong, omang. |
| Etymology | See among(es prep.. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Together, along with, by the side of, in association with, accompanied by; with..among; medlen ~, mix with, intermingle.
Associated quotations
- a1325(?c1300) Caiphas (Sln 2478)161 : Wyþ bordoun hauteyn men amonkes lat me hure ȝou synge.
- a1350 Most i ryden (Hrl 2253)11 : Þe lylie lossum is ant long, wiþ riche rose ant rode among, a fyldor fax to folde.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)527 : Wiþ ioie & miche blis among.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)218b/b : Wiþ reed y medlid among.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.237 : So he is neuere murie, Withoute mornynge amonge.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1414 : Tymbres and tabornes, tulket among.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)905 : I am bot mokke & mul among [vr. amonc], And þou so ryche a reken rose.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1816 : Th' effect and joie of Troilus servise, Al be that ther was som disese among.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)14/25 : Hali writ..sais þat naman may mikil speke, bot yef þare be sinne i-mang [L in multiloquio non effugietur peccatum].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)906 : And many a rose-leef ful long Was entermedled theramong.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.901 : And how that I medlid me among.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1191 : Bot if deuocioun cum emang.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)298 : [Birds] sate among Upon my chambre roof.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4901 : Of charbocle stanes, With-outen mesure emaunge of margrite stanes.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)48 : Whos Ioye ys euere meynt A-mong with wo.
- a1500 Almyȝty godde conserue (Trin-C O.9.38)47 : And euer kepe thys lessoun A-monge.
2.
Within, here and there; ever ~, in many places, ?everywhere.
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4790 : And euere amonge wern emeraudis grene.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)9.86 : Ere among ther be Wellis wel cold in playn.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8682 : Bretaigne ys large & long, & many stedes wast among.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)7/37 : Manye famose doctouris writingis..ben wel and profitabli..not wiþstonding þat, here and þere among, þei fallen fro it.
3.
(a) Of actions or events: at the same time; (b) meanwhile.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22702 : Her wes fiðelinge and song, her wes harpinge imong [Otho: amang].
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)476 : He sweren bi ðe rode..mid here sage & mid here song he ðe swiken ðer imong.
- a1300 When y se blosmes (Roy 2.F.8)54 : Iesu..ih sende þe þis songe, and wel ofte ih þe grete and bydde þe among.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)88 : Of hir to mak bath rim and sang, And luue hir suette sun amang [Göt: emang; Trin-C: amonge].
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)8590 : Þe devels salle ay opon þam gang, And ay on þam stamp with þair feth omang.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)158/584 : We haue traueld lang, And restyd haue we lytyll emang.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.133 : So among [L interim], whan Seint Oswolde regnede, Adrianus..was bisshop in Brenicia.
- (1462) Paston (Gairdner)4.28 : Avise me to lete Peers go at large and to take a promys of hym to com to me a mong unto your comyng hom, and in the mene while his demenyng may be knowyn.
4.
All the time, all the while, continually; ever ~, alwei ~, every time, again and again, repeatedly; oft ~.
Associated quotations
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)89/1527 : Make we vs glade Eure among.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1610 : And euer wiþ al mi miȝt Of þe y spac among.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)860 : Euer swore hir moder among, 'Certain, it was nouȝt so!'
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)186 : Hij sholen haue euere among Lore of catel and seknesse.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)209 : Him was ful wo þan on is þoȝt & ofte sekede amonge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.7 : Elsynus, bisshop of Wynchestre, evere among fondede to have þe see.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1459 : Hire yhe alwei among sche caste Upon hir love.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3644 : And euere amonge þe cors she dide enbrace.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2295 : With dremes grocched euer among, Ther he lay.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)176 : Therfore in myrthe haue thow remoors, And euer among thenk wele on this.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7424 : Þus salle þai sklaundre God omang.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2842 : Ther was a lady fresh of hewe, Which of hir love made a song, On hym for to remembre among.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)145/1311 : Florent gane euer amonges ryde, And made þore many a sory syde.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)19.220 : Tempted he was with the devel Among Forto forsaken there his trewe Creawnse.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2893 : Remembreth euer a-monge þat ye shul dye.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)438 : & bere þee manly euere a-mong.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)2755 : But for shrewdnes oft among..with the hamour he smote.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)6554 : For euer among a-drad he was With his treason to be ouertake.
- a1450 The grete god (Gar 143)75 : Take þis in ȝoure hertis amonge, Whare-euer ȝe go.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)34/158 : And therfore euere I morne emange.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)389/301 : Þanne se I howe þou mouys emang, Some mesure with malice to melle.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3686 : And þankid God above evir more a-mong.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)36/45 : Enforme hem wele evyr amonge Synne to for-sake.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)153 : Loke þou take a pece in þyne hand euermore amonge, and assay it in þy mouthe.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)748 : Thys chylde had wonder euyr among Why þese knyghtys were so longe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)41/23 : His childre angred hym amang.
5.
At intervals, again and again, from time to time, now and then; occasionally, at times; som-time ~, other-while ~.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)6 : Þat plait was stif & starc & strong, Sum wile softe & lud among.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1079 : Evere among Sche wepte, and otherwhile song To rocke with hire child aslepe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1209 : And as I mai, I speke among, And otherwhile I singe a song.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7080 : And otherwhile among he syketh.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.118 : The yeres ben amonges [L inter se] outherwhile plentevous and outherwhile bareyne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)11 : A-monge, or sum tyme: Interdum, quandoque.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.270 : Somtyme a-monge had she hir play.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2727 : In this meane while The firmament wil loure amonge & smyle.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.33 : The lytill suete nyghtingale..song..now soft, now lowd among.
6.
Besides, in addition, also.
Associated quotations
- a1350 Iesu crist heouene kyng (Hrl 2253)5 : Iesu, y þe preye among in stude al wher y be.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3370 : Pride..envy..Ilkan of þir es a dedly syn. And wreth es dedly syn, omang.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)852 : And was stalworþe and hardy among.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.687 : And this Zenobia..Passed al othir in fame of elloquence. Among, she was armyd in plate & maille.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)130/15 : Godd i god ow multli þet meast grið is among.
Note: Antedates most senses
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)497 : Þu sulf art þar among, For of golnesse is al þi song.
Note: Most senses need date
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)102/6 : Her imong beoð oðerhwiles nawt ane bittre wordes.
Note: Antedates 1.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)70.10/2 : Wið þat man blod & wyrms ȝemang hracce, ȝenim þisse wyrte.
Note: New spelling
- c1390 Cato(1) (Vrn)588 : For eueri werk wronglich wrouht God wol venge among.
Note: ?Sense
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1389 : Wer astou ben, among vn pees Sithen to dai þat þou ros?
Note: ?Sense - ?4.
Note: Most senses need date