Somewhile

adv. Now rare. Forms: 2–3 sum wile, 3 sum(e) hwile, 4 sumwhyle, 4–6 -while; 4–5 sumquile, -quyle, 5 -qwile; 5 somwhyle, 7 -while; 5 some wile, somewhyle, 5–7, 9 somewhile. [f. SOME a.¹ + WHILE sb.; cf. WFlem. somwijl. In early use freq. written as two words.]

  1.  † a. At or in some former time; erewhile; formerly. Obs.

1154.  O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137. Sume ieden on ælmes þe waren sum wile rice-men.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 5. Syon was sum hwile iclepet þe hehe tur of Ierusalem.

13[?].  K. Alis., 1527 (W.). Ther was sum while, over us, A kyng that hette Neptanabus.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 625. Hit is a syngne þat Salamon set sum-quyle.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 2994. Þan was an ymage within … Of Sexeres þat sum-quyle þat cite had to welde.

1591.  Spenser, Ruins of Rome, 242. These … Pallaces … were shepheards cottages somewhile.

1654.  H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 65. That shell which was some-while the continent of so vast treasures of knowledge.

  † b.  Somewhile since, some time ago. Obs.

1652.  Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 115. Nor must wee let it pass, that somwhile since, there were two Constitutions pretended to in France.

  c.  attrib., passing into adj. Former, sometime.

1860.  W. H. Ainsworth, Ovingdean Grange, 11. Highly dangerous to the spiritual welfare of his somewhile flock.

1888.  N. & Q., 7th Ser. VI. 19/1. Richard Doyle, somewhile illustrator of Punch.

  † 2.  On a certain occasion in the past; once; at one time. Obs. rare.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 43. We findeð on þe holie boc, þat ure helende … ferde sumwile mid mede ouere water.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 4751. Þe caf he cast o corn sumquile In þe flum þat hait þe nile.

c. 1586.  C’tess Pembroke, Ps. XCIX. viii. For sinne they somewhile smarted.

1631.  Gouge, God’s Arrows, III. § 88. 349. The souldiers that came from Newhaven that was somwhile besieged, and after taken by the enemy.

  3.  At some (unspecified) time; at one time or other; at times, sometimes. Also † at somewhile.

c. 1250.  Owl & Night., 6. Þat playd wes … starc & strong, Sum hwile sorte & lud among.

1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 367. I have herd sein … That thei som while here cause ladden Be merci.

1426.  Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 11427. What ys the cause … That a swerd burnysshed cler, Somwhyle rusteth?

c. 1456.  Pecock, Bk. of Faith (1909), 252. Peraventure he schal have nede at sumwhile.

1559.  Mirr. Mag. (1563), A iv. To serue kings in al pointes men must sum while breke rules.

1560.  Whitehorne, Arte Warre, 9 b. And some while it hapned, that in one self time there were manie Emperours.

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., May, 126. Tho vnder colour of shepeheards, somewhile There crept in Wolues, ful of fraude and guile.

1628.  Gaule, Pract. The. (1629), 109. An vniuersall King does not onely some-while fore-goe, but some-what resemble the King Eternall.

1629.  in Bradford, Plymouth Plant. (1856), 246. These now sente … must, some while, be chargable to you & us.

1855.  J. Nichol, in Knight, Mem. (1896), iii. 130. The ‘beautiful vision’ with which all lives worth living have been somewhile brightened.

  b.  With correlative somewhile or † other whiles.

a. 1240.  Lofsong, in O. E. Hom., I. 205. Sumehwile to pleiful, to drupi oðer hwiles.

13[?].  Cursor M., 7433 (Gött.). Sumquile [v.r. oþerwhile] wid harpe, sumquile wid sang.

c. 1400.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), I. xx. (1859), 26. How ofte haue I warned the byfore, Som whyle aperte, som whyle pryuely.

1575.  Vautrollier, Luther on Ep. Galat., 161. In whom is found continually, somewhile the time of the law, and somewhile the time of grace.

1607.  Hieron, Wks., I. 399. It is tearmed some while, a blessing themselues; some while an encouraging themselues in a wicked purpose.

  4.  For some time.

1864.  Pusey, Daniel (1876), 302. His grandfather himself must have been somewhile dead.