Amongst

prep. Forms: 3–4 amanges, (amongus), 4–6 amonges, 5 -is, -ys, 5–7 amongs, 6 amongest(e, 6– amongst, ’mongst. Northern 3–6 amanges, 5–7 amangs, 7 amangst. Also 5 emanges, -ez, emongis, 6 emonges, emongs, emongest(e. [f. AMONG (amang, emong) with adverbial genitive -es, as in besides, betimes, in 16th c. corrupted to -st, by form-assoc. with superlatives, cf. agains(t, amids(t.]

  Less usual in the primary local sense than among, and, when so used, generally implying dispersion, intermixture, or shifting position.

  1.  = AMONG 1.

a. 1400.  Sir Perc., 604. So commes the rede knyghte inne Emangez thame.

1559.  in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. App. vi. 9. Did he place himself amongest the prestes?

c. 1590.  Marlowe, Faustus, 51. Faustus is feasted mongst his noblemen.

1652.  Ashmole, Theatr. Chem. Brit., 217. Amongs the Wormys smale.

1851.  Helps, Friends in C., I. 4. Red brick houses, with poplars coming up amongst them.

1866.  G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., x. (1878), 172. I walked about amongst them.

  2.  = AMONG 2.

c. 1384.  Chaucer, H. of Fame, 1633. They amonges al the pres Shul thus be shamed.

1556.  Lauder, Tractate, 78. Amangs the heuinlie companye.

  3.  = AMONG 3

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1619. Godes hus, Her heuenegate amongus us.

1258.  Procl. Hen. III. We senden ȝew þis writ … to halden a manges ȝew inehord.

1366.  Maundev., xix. 211. Thei hadde no pore men amonges hem.

1556.  Robinson, More’s Utopia, 22. I spende almost al the day abrode emonges other.

1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abus. (1877), 22. A God amongest men.

1633.  P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XI. iv. As those holy Fishers once amongs Thou flamedst bright with sparkling parted tongues.

1816.  J. Wilson, City of Plague, I. iv. 23. ’Tis the first death Hath been amongst us.

1851.  Helps, Friends in C., I. 116. To live amongst those with whom one has not anything like one’s fair value.

  4.  = AMONG 4.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Merch. T., 784. Amonges other of his honest thinges, He had a gardin walled all with ston.

c. 1460.  Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 44. The kepyng of the See I rekyn not amongs the Ordynarye chargs.

1551.  Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., Ep. Ded. Amongest them all, I wyll take the exaumples of kyng Phylippe of Macedonie, and of Alexander his sonne.

1586.  T. B., La Primaudaye’s Fr. Acad., II. 41. Amongest terrestrial creatures … God hath created none with two legges onely … but man.

1605.  Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. § 14 (1873), 83. The opinion of plenty is amongst the causes of want.

1711.  Steele, Spect., No. 2, ¶ 3. Frugal Maxims, amongst which the greatest Favourite is ‘A Peny Saved is a Peny got.’

1785.  C. Wilkins, trans. Bhagvat-Geeta, vii. 69. A few amongst ten thousand mortals strive for perfection.

1840.  Hood, Up Rhine, 4. Amongst other memorials, there is an old family watch.

  5.  = AMONG 6.

1366.  Maundev., xviii. 195. The more worschipe he hath amonges hem.

1536.  Beerley, in Four Cent. Eng. Lett., 34. Fowll vycys don amonckst relygyus men.

1588.  A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., H ij b. Y^e sonday being yairefter amanges y^e Christians callit y^e day of our lord.

1599.  Thynne, Animadv. (1875), 1. One annciente and gretlye Estemed Custome emongeste the Romans.

1676.  Hobbes, Iliad, I. 100. Nor will the sickness ’mongst the People cease.

1802.  Scott, Minstr. Scot. Bord., i. 39. This original miscellany holds a considerable value amongst collectors.

  6.  = AMONG 7–8.

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., 217. Emanges us alle I red we kest To bring this there to dede.

1527.  in Bury Wills (1850), 118. Delte emongeste the poore people.

a. 1569.  Kyngesmill, Man’s Estate, xiii. (1580), 110. Thei parted my garmentes emongest them.

1607.  Dekker, in Shaks. Cent. Praise, 74. Dispersing his giftes, amongst none but his honest breathren.

1640.  Bk. War-Comm. Covenanters, 2. The divisione of the said troupe horss amangst the parochess.

  7.  = AMONG 9

1509.  Fisher, Wks. (1876), 296. Yf ony faccyons or bendes were made secretely amongest her hede Officers.

1543.  (24 Dec.) Henry VIII., Parl. Speech. What Charity and Love is amongst you, when one calleth the other Heretick and Anabaptist?

1558.  Q. Eliz., in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. App. iii. 3. Whereupon riseth amonges the common sort … unfruteful dispute.

1756.  Burke, Subl. & B., Wks. I. 213. How are the partisans of proportional beauty agreed amongst themselves?