till
Language: English
Part of speech: prep
Pronunciation: enpr: tĭl
ipa: /tɪl/
rhymes: -ɪl
Forms: form: 'til
form: til
Etymology: From Middle English til, from Northern Old English til, from or akin to Old Norse til (“to, till”); both from Proto-Germanic *til (“to, toward”), from Proto-Germanic *tilą (“planned point in time”). Not a contraction of until; rather, until comes from till with the prefix un- (“against; toward; up to”) also found in unto. Cognate with Old Frisian til (“to, till”), Danish til (“to”), Swedish till (“to, till”), Icelandic til (“to, till”). Also related to Old English til (“good”), German Ziel (“goal”), Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐌻 (til, “something fitting or suitable”).
Senses: examples: text: She stayed till the very end.
text: I have to work till eight o'clock tonight.
text: Similar sentiments will recur to everyone familiar with his writings all through them till the very end.
ref: 1854, Prof. John Wilson, The Genius and Character of Burns, page 194:
text: The line was authorised on June 23, 1864, but not opened till July 11, 1881.
ref: 1946 May and June, G. A. Sekon, “L.B.S.C.R. West Coast Section—3”, in Railway Magazine, page 148:
text: While the PA has not always seen eye-to-eye with US foreign policy, its survival remained, till recently, a top American priority.
ref: 2019 March 14, Ramzy Baroud, “Chasing mirages: What are Palestinians doing to combat ‘Deal of the Century’?”, in Ma'an News, archived from the original on 30 Mar 2019:
glosses: Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
examples: text: It's twenty till two. (1:40)
text: Is that the town-clock striking? / I think that it is to-night / My fever will reach its crisis, / There are long hours yet till light.
ref: 1880, A. T. Fullerton, “Fever”, in Littell's Living Age, volume 147, page 578:
glosses: Before (a certain time or event).
examples: text: They led him till his tent
text: She, poor bird, as all forlorn / Lean'd her breast up-till a thorn / And there sung the dolefull'st ditty, / To to hear it was great pity.
ref: 1599, William Shakespeare (attributed), The Passionate Pilgrim:
text: And till the kirk she wadna gae, / nor till't she wadna ride, / Till four-and-twenty men she gat her before, / And twenty on ilka side
ref: 1806, “Lord Wa'Yates and Auld Ingram”, in Robert Jameson, editor, Popular Ballads and Songs, volume 2:
text: For a king to gang an outlaw till / Is beneath his state and his dignitie.
ref: 1838, “The Outlaw Murray”, in Walter Scott, editor, Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border:
glosses: To, up to (physically).
examples: text: "Here's at you old hoss!" hiccupped I, with a friendly pitch in the way of a nod at Rice.
"Go it, young grampus, that's me! Here's till ye, my infant progidy!" replied he, as he clinked his glass against mine.
ref: 1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 20:
text: And then she changed her voice and would be as saft as honey: 'My puir wee Ailie, was I thrawn till ye? Never mind, my bonnie. You and me are a' that's left, and we maunna be ill to ither.'
ref: 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
glosses: To, toward (in attitude).
examples: 1953?, Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
VLADIMIR: Together again at last! We'll have to celebrate this. But how? (He reflects.) Get up till I embrace you.
glosses: So that (something may happen).
Derived terms: cast not a clout till May be out
ne'er cast a clout till May be out
don't knock it till you've tried it
don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear
fake it till one makes it
it ain't over till it's over
it ain't over till the fat lady sings
it isn't over till the fat lady sings
no-till
six ways till Sunday
the cow knows not the worth of its tail till it loses it
till all hours
till date
till death do us part
till death us do part
till doomsday
till the cow come home
till the cows come home
till time
up till
wait till the clouds roll by
you don't miss the water till the well runs dry
you never know what you've got till it's gone
you never miss the water till the well runs dry