whilom
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈwaɪləm/
ipa: /ˈwaɪləm/
ipa: /ˈʍaɪ-/
rhymes: -aɪləm
Forms: form: whilome
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”))
Senses: examples: text: Lo I the man, vvhoſe Muſe vvhilome did maske, / As time her taught, in lowly Sheapards vveeds, / Am novv enforſt a far unfitter taske, […]
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 1:
text: VVith ſuch an invention [a sumptuary law] did Zelevcus vvhilome correct the corrupted maners of the Locrines.
ref: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Sumptuarie Lawes, or Lawes for Moderating of Expences”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 145:
text: 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.
ref: 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto I.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 26:
text: My vvarbling Lute, the Lute I vvhilom ſtrung / VVhen to King John of Portugal I ſung, / VVas but the Prelude to that glorious Day, / VVhen thou on Silver Thames did'ſt cut thy vvay, / VVith vvell-tim'd Oars before the Royal Barge, / Svvell'd vvith the Pride of thy Celeſtial charge; […]
ref: c. 1678 (date written; published 1682), J[ohn] Dryden, “Mac Flecknoe”, in Mac Flecknoe: A Poem. […] With Spencer’s Ghost: Being a Satyr Concerning Poetry. […], London: […] H[enry] Hills, […], published 1709, →OCLC, page 4:
text: The Squire himſelf novv ſallied forth, and begun to roar forth the Name of Sophia loudly, and in as hoarſe a Voice, as vvhileom did Hercules that of Hylas: […]
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, “In which the History Goes Backward”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII, pages 66–67:
text: They who whilome, in midnight fight, / Had marvelled at her matchless might, / No less her maiden charms approved, / But looking liked, and liking loved.
ref: 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Introduction to Canto Fifth: To George Ellis, Esq.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, page 231:
text: Holding it [the skull of a hare] in the hand the shadow falls into and darkens the cavities once filled by the wistful eyes which whilom glanced down from the summit here upon the sweet clover fields beneath.
ref: 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], “The Downs—The Entrenchment—Ways of Larks. Hares—A Combat—Happiness of Animals. Ants—A Long Journey.”, in Wild Life in a Southern County […], London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 10:
synonyms: word: afore
word: aforehand
word: already
word: antecedently
word: at one time
word: before
word: beforehand
word: beforetime
word: ere
word: erenow
word: erewhile
word: erstwhile
word: erstwhiles
word: foretime
word: formerly
word: in advance
word: in the past
word: late
word: once
word: precedently
word: previously
word: sometime
word: sometimes
word: therebefore
word: while
word: whilere
word: whilom
word: yestertide
word: yestertime
word: yet
qualifier: archaic except literary
glosses: At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time.
examples: text: Wald ze be lov'd, this lessone mon ze leir; / Flie vhylome Love, and it will folou thee.
ref: a. 1599 (date written), Alexander Montgomery [i.e., Alexander Montgomerie], “An Admonitioun to Zoung Lassis”, in David Irving, editor, The Poems of Alexander Montgomery: […], Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for W[illiam] and C[harles] Tait, […], published 1821, →OCLC, page 222:
synonyms: word: at times
word: ever and anon
word: every once in a while
word: every now and then
word: every so often
word: from time to time
word: intermittently
word: irregularly
word: now and again
word: now and then
word: occasionally
word: on occasion
word: once in a while
word: sometimes
word: sporadically
word: uncommonly
word: while
word: whilom
glosses: At times, on occasion, sometimes.
examples: text: This money I do give ye, becauſe of vvhilom / You have bin thought my ſonne, and by myſelfe too, […]
ref: 1610–1616 (date written), Iohn [i.e., John] Fletcher, Monsieur Thomas. A Comedy. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, […], published 1639, →OCLC, Act IV, scene ii, signature I2, verso:
glosses: Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.