somewhilesadv.
Now dialect or archaic.† 1. At some former time; formerly. Obsolete. rare.† 3. At some time before. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > [adverb]
erea822
fernOE
whileOE
erera1000
whilereOE
onceOE
somewhile1154
whilomc1175
herebeforec1200
somewhilesa1250
yorea1250
orc1275
rather?a1300
erewhilec1305
sometimea1325
sometimec1330
at or in sometime1340
in arrear1340
heretoforea1375
fernyear1377
once upon a timec1380
behinds1382
beforetimea1393
of olda1393
erenow1393
umquhilea1400
erst14..
fornec1400
yore whilec1400
of before1402
late1423
abefore1431
beforetimes1449
whilesc1480
sometime1490
aforrow?a1513
behind1526
quondamc1540
in foretime(s?c1550
erstwhile1569
erstwhiles1569
aleare1581
erewhiles1584
sometimes1597
formerly1599
anciently1624
olim1645
somewhile since1652
quondamly1663
forepassed1664
sometimea1684
backward1691
historically1753
time back1812
had-been1835
when1962
a1250 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Nero) (1952) 124 Bihold holie men ðet weren sumehwules. hwu heo uesten. & hwu heo wakeden.
2.
a. On some occasion(s); sometimes.Frequently in the latter half of the 16th cent.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] > sometimes or occasionally
whiloma900
whilea1000
stoundmealc1000
stundumOE
otherwhileOE
umquhile1154
with and withc1175
by stoundsa1225
otherwhilesc1225
umbestound?c1225
umbewhilec1230
then and thenc1275
sometime…sometime1297
umstounda1300
by while13..
over while13..
sometime1340
umbe throwea1350
at timesa1382
now and again (also anon, eft, now)a1393
umbwhile1393
eftsoona1398
sometimea1400
by sithesc1400
umbestoundsc1400
from time to (formerly unto) time1423
now and (also or) then1445
ever now and nowa1470
when and whenc1470
occasionallya1475
in timesa1500
whiles?a1500
whilomsa1500
sometimes1526
somewhiles1528
at whiles1540
ever now and then1542
a-whiles1546
somewhiles…, somewhiles1547
at sometimes1548
now and thenc1550
ever and anon1558
by occasions1562
on (also upon) occasion1562
as soon…as soon1581
every now and then (also again)1642
by a time1721
once and a while1765
ever and again1788
periodically1825
in spots1851
1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. clv The very Gods them selves which sell their pardone so good chepe or some whiles geve them frely for glory sake.
1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Tresilian f. iv We let hang the true man somwhyles to saue a thefe.
1594 R. Carew tr. J. Huarte Exam. Mens Wits x. 144 The profession of which they haue made choice, (though somwhiles vnworthy).
a1640 W. Fenner Hidden Manna (1652) Ep. Ded. sig. B3 For the Understanding and Will, are somewhiles like Simeon and Levi.
1681 R. L'Estrange tr. Cicero Offices (ed. 2) 131 Without need some whiles of any other Company.
c1863 S. S. Jones Northumberland 129 There was yen o' them it [= that] somewhiles did nae make things sae smooth as they might have been.
1890 D. G. Mitchell Eng. Lands II. iii. 107 Among other writers..who went somewhiles to these suppers..was James Howell.
1901 A. J. Davies Athirt Downs ii. iv. 72 Takes a deal of following somewhiles, that it do.
b. With correlatives, esp. somewhiles…, somewhiles, = sometimes adv. 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] > sometimes or occasionally
whiloma900
whilea1000
stoundmealc1000
stundumOE
otherwhileOE
umquhile1154
with and withc1175
by stoundsa1225
otherwhilesc1225
umbestound?c1225
umbewhilec1230
then and thenc1275
sometime…sometime1297
umstounda1300
by while13..
over while13..
sometime1340
umbe throwea1350
at timesa1382
now and again (also anon, eft, now)a1393
umbwhile1393
eftsoona1398
sometimea1400
by sithesc1400
umbestoundsc1400
from time to (formerly unto) time1423
now and (also or) then1445
ever now and nowa1470
when and whenc1470
occasionallya1475
in timesa1500
whiles?a1500
whilomsa1500
sometimes1526
somewhiles1528
at whiles1540
ever now and then1542
a-whiles1546
somewhiles…, somewhiles1547
at sometimes1548
now and thenc1550
ever and anon1558
by occasions1562
on (also upon) occasion1562
as soon…as soon1581
every now and then (also again)1642
by a time1721
once and a while1765
ever and again1788
periodically1825
in spots1851
(a)
(b)a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. i. sig. A.ijv Sometime Lewis Loytrer biddeth me come neere, Somewhyles Watkin Waster maketh vs good cheere.1562 P. Whitehorne tr. N. Machiavelli Arte of Warre iii. f. xliiv Some whiles thei fought with the enemies horses, an other while, thei rescued the fotmen.1565 W. Allen Def. & Declar. Doctr. Purgatory ii. xv. f. 272v One while by the praysies of the doctors and antiquitye, and sumwhiles by thabasing of theime ageine.1547 J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes c vj b Britayne was not always..vnder one Kyng.., but was gouerned somwhiles by one, and somwhiles by mo.
1606 G. W. tr. Justinus Hist. iv. 21 The wind..sendeth foorth in many places, some-whiles flashes of fyre, other some-whiles againe most..dangerous vapors.
1612 J. Davies Discouerie Causes Ireland 13 Some-whiles one preuailing, some-whiles the other.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > [adverb]
erea900
beforeeOE
forec1000
toforec1175
therebeforec1200
toforehand1258
forne toc1275
orc1275
andersitha1300
alreadyc1300
rather?1316
beforehandc1330
erstc1330
aforec1350
theretoforea1375
aforehanda1387
forthwitha1400
forwitha1400
or?a1400
ereward14..
toforetimec1400
aforetimes1429
aforetime1433
afore seasons1463
heretoforetime1481
forouth1487
aforrow?a1513
beforrow1568
paravant1590
antecedently1593
formerly1596
precedently1611
preveniently1633
preallably1652
previously1655
precedaneously1657
somewhiles1657
antecedaneously1661
aft1674
prior1675
anteriorly1681
antecedent1690
previous1712
priorly1742
1657 tr. J. Buccardus Prayse of Peireskius in W. Rand tr. P. Gassendi Mirrour of Nobility 254 Having some whiles before procured [an]..Edition of his Divine Poems.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
<
adv.a1250