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whilom

adv
/ˈwaɪləm/UK/ˈwaɪləm/US

Etymology

From Middle English whilom (“(adverb) at one time, formerly, once; once upon a time; at times, sometimes; at a future time; (conjunction) while”) [and other forms], from Old English hwīlum, hwīlan, hwīlon (“at one time, once; sometimes”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīlum, the dative plural of *hwīlu (“period of time, time, while; period of rest, pause”), from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (“period of time, time, while; period of rest, pause”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest; peace, rest”). The Oxford English Dictionary regards adverb sense 2.2 (“for some time that has passed”) as “aberrant”. Cognates * Old High German hwīlōn (Middle High German wīlen, wīlent, German weiland (“at one time, formerly”)) * Old Saxon hwīlon (“sometimes”) (Middle Dutch wilen, Middle Low German wilen (“at one time, formerly”), Dutch wijlen (“deceased, late”))

  1. inherited from *kʷyeh₁-✻ — “to rest; peace, rest”
  2. inherited from *hwīlō✻ — “period of time, time, while; period of rest, pause”
  3. inherited from *hwīlum✻
  4. inherited from hwīlum
  5. inherited from whilom — “(adverb) at one time, formerly, once; once upon a time; at times, sometimes; at a future time; (conjunction) while”

Definitions

  1. At some time in the past

    At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time.

    • Lo I the man, vvhoſe Muſe vvhilome did maske, / As time her taught, in lowly Sheapards vveeds, / Am novv enforſt a far unfitter taske, […]
    • VVith ſuch an invention [a sumptuary law] did Zelevcus vvhilome correct the corrupted maners of the Locrines.
    • In Northern Clime a valorous Knight / Did whilom kill his Bear in fight, / And wound a Fidler: we have both / Of these the objects of our Wroth / And equal Fame and Glory from / Th' Attempt or Victory to come.

  2. At times, on occasion, sometimes.

    • Wald ze be lov'd, this lessone mon ze leir; / Flie vhylome Love, and it will folou thee.

  3. Preceded by of or this

    Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.

    • This money I do give ye, becauſe of vvhilom / You have bin thought my ſonne, and by myſelfe too, […]
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. Of a person

      Of a person: deceased, late.

    2. During the same time that

      During the same time that; while.

      • Subjects their King, the King his Subjects greets, / VVhilome the Scepter and the Plough-ſtaffe meets.

    3. Up to the time that

      Up to the time that; till, until.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for whilom. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA