| 释义 |
amidstadv.prep.n. Etymology: Partly < amid adv. + -s suffix1, and partly < amid prep. + -s suffix1. The development of excrescent final -t (see β. forms) was probably reinforced by the fact that (in use as preposition) the word was frequently followed by te , variant of the adj., and perhaps also by association with superlatives in -st ; compare similarly amongst prep. 1a, against prep., betwixt prep.Compare in mids adv., in mids prep., which probably partly result from reanalysis of forms at this entry, and partly show a parallel development of in mid adv., in mid prep. Compare also in midst (of) at midst n. 2b. Variants of these with reduced first element are also found, as both adverb and preposition, e.g.:a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 6451 Als þe yholk ymyddes þe egge lys..Right swa es þe erthe..Ymyddes þe hevens þat gas obout.a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 4894 Enmyddes his peple hym ther gan find.c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 197v Evyne ymyddes all men..[he] Waynyt vp to the welkyn as a wan clowde.a1627 J. Beaumont Bosworth-field (1629) 78 Immid'st of flames, or through the raging tide. A similar origin is probably shown by forms with initial e- such as those in the following quots. (compare discussion at amid prep. and adv.):a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 655 Ȝon a tre..þat standis emiddes [Vesp. in midward, Trin. Cambr. amidde] paradis.a1450 ( in J. Kail 26 Polit. Poems (1904) 70 Truste al in gloser charmes..May brynge a lord..Emyddis grete harmes.1550 N. Udall tr. P. M. Vermigli Disc. Sacrament Lordes Supper f. iiv Emiddes the accidentes of the breade there is a thing of quantitee.1553 C. Tye Actes of Apostles (new ed.) i. sig. B.i Peter, stode vp stoute Emyds them all trulye. Usage. In the early 21st cent. less common than amid prep. and adv. in most uses; this predominance appears to extend back to the late 19th century at least, although there is some evidence that amidst may have predominated at some periods before that. Compare also midst n., prep., and adv. N.E.D. (1884) commented that ‘there is a tendency to use amidst more distributively than amid, e.g. of things scattered about, or a thing moving, in the midst of others’, but later commentators have not been able to confirm this: thus, for example, R. W. Burchfield New Fowler's Mod. Eng. Usage (ed. 3, 1996) states that ‘the distributional pattern of the words is not clearly ascertainable’. A. adv.the world > space > relative position > central condition or position > [adverb] > in the middle or midst c1300 St. Agnes (Laud) l. 112 in C. Horstmann (1887) 184 In þe fuyr men hire þrevȝ; Þat fuyr clef a-middes a-to. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) iv. l. 1349 The hors..a sterre whit Amiddes in the front he hadde. c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) ii. l. 864 (MED) In þe theatre þer was a smal auter Amyddes set. 1517 S. Hawes (1928) xxxii. 157 The rofe was golde and a myddes was sette A carbuncle. a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil (1960) xii. x. l. 23 He amyddis onto thame spak thus. 1667 J. Milton x. 33 Eternal Father from his secret Cloud, Amidst in Thunder utter'd thus his voice. View more context for this quotation 1720 A. Pope tr. Homer V. xviii. 589 Two golden Talents lay amidst, in sight, The Prize of him who best adjudg'd the Right. 1846 12 Dec. 93/1 Above—amidst—in flaming bright array, Pensile, and standard lights o'erbranch the scene. 1876 W. Morris tr. Virgil xi. 316 Evander..comes amidst, and on the bier where Pallas lies alow He grovels. 2003 www.stylusmagazine.com 1 Sept. (Internet Archive Wayback Machine 12 Nov. 2006) Tyranny is a strictly pop album, with a couple of punk overtone songs amidst. the world > space > relative position > central condition or position > [adverb] > in the middle or midst > in the middle of c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring (1891) xxi. 14 Myn hert ys made as wex meltand [a1382 E.V. meltende] a-middes of my wombe. c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 2230 (MED) Amyddes of þis ilke tweyne, Of Loue and Schame even vp-on þe point, Stood Medea. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine f. cclxxviiiv/2 A right fayr sterre whiche shone amyddes of the celle. 1565 T. Stapleton tr. Bede ii. xiii. f. 66v Warme with a softe fyre burning amidest therof. 1665 E. Manning 34 Better is it, amidst of afflictions to mourn with our Lord weeping on the Cross, than [etc.]. 1685 P. Rycaut Continuation 105 in tr. Platina Amidst of these Combustions Don Pedro dying after a tedious sickness at Florence, the French gained the advantage. 1724 P. Blair ii. 75 Amidst of these arises the flowering Stem. 1841 Mar. 173 They [sc. the horses of Connemara] are suffered to run wild amidst of the limestone rocks of this coast until they are about four years old. 1913 ‘H. J. Mozams’ i. 94 She lived when Holland was in the van of human progress and amidst of the splendors of the Dutch Renaissance. 1999 J. M. Barlog ix. 96 A nice secure place to live amidst of an otherwise run-down strip of city. B. prep.the world > space > relative position > central condition or position > [preposition] > in the middle or midst (of) α. c1300 St. Thomas Apostle (Laud) l. 36 in C. Horstmann (1887) 377 (MED) Huy come and metten þis Messager..a-middes þe Chepingue. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich xiv. l. 619 Amyddes the Feld there it lay. 1517 S. Hawes (1928) xxix. 140 She dyde hym vp wynde Amyddes the wall and lefte hym there..fyue fadam and more frome the grounde. ?1549 R. Wyer tr. C. de Pisan xix. sig. E.viiv A Geant which had but one eye amyddes his forheed. α. c1330 (Auch.) (1966) l. 191 (MED) Ac ȝete amiddes hem..Þe quen was oway ytuiȝt, Wiþ fairi forþ ynome. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich li. l. 122 Amyddis his bretherin twelve. 1557 Earl of Surrey et al. sig. Bb.i I thrust amids the throng, And clapt my handes. ?1614 G. Chapman tr. Homer xiii. 261 Lost, Amids the moving waters. 1666 M. Wigglesworth 5 The Judge draws nigh, exalted high upon a lofty Throne, Amids the throng of Angels strong. the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > circumstance or circumstances > circumstance [preposition] > amid (the circumstances) c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xi. l. 67 (MED) Merueilousliche me mette a-myddes al þat blisse. c1405 (c1375) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 643 Yet was he caught amyddes al his pryde. a1542 T. Wyatt (1969) xxxvi. 12 Vnles I starve; For honger still a myddes my foode. 1582 R. Parsons ii. i. 204 I..superabounde in all ioye, amyddest our tribulations. 1620 Bp. J. Hall Concl. 344 It was written..amids the heate of contention. 1660 R. Allestree 69 Amidst all the seducements of Wealth. 1756 C. Lucas iii. Ded. To smile amidst adversity. 1798 J. O'Keeffe Czar Peter i. iii, in III. 134 Nor beats his heart amidst the general roar, But for the lovely maid he left on shore. 1849 T. B. Macaulay I. 535 Amidst the splendour and festivity of a court. 1887 Feb. 395/1 The junior class filed into the green enclosure amidst the 'rahs of their friends. 1953 Oct. 1/2 Appearing at this time, and amidst these problems, Encounter seeks to promote no ‘line’. 1976 W. E. Griffis 83 A healthy skepticism, amidst dense superstition, has been maintained. 2006 4 May 4/3 Demand for the drug..has soared amidst fears that bird flu might mutate and trigger a human flu pandemic. C. n.the world > time > [noun] > stretch, period, or portion of time the world > space > relative position > central condition or position > [noun] > middle or centre 1664 J. Owen viii. 173 The same Apostle being at Rome, in the reign of Nero, in the amidst of the time allotted unto the abode of Peter there, never once mentions him in any of the Epistles. 1866 A. Buzacott xiv. 203 The first Sabbath was a season I shall never forget, once more to be in the amidst of an affectionate people. 1977 28 Aug. 28/3 In this respect, they are in the amidst of a cut-throat bargain with the authorities. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2021; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  adv.prep.n.c1300 |
