thereabouts
Part of speech: adv
noun
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: The adverb is derived from Middle English there-aboutes, þare aboutes (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from ther (“in that place, in those places, there; on that; thither, to that place; from there, thence; at that time; thereupon; in that situation, under those circumstances; in that case, with regard to that”) (from Old English þǣr (“there”)) + aboutes (“in all directions, around”, adverb), aboutes (“in all directions from, on all sides of; near; concerned with”, preposition) (from aboute, abouten (“so as to surround; so as to cover; on the border or edge; as measured around the outside; to as to travel around something; so as to revolve about an axis or centre; aside; in all directions; in the vicinity; in connection with something; in several places; everywhere, throughout; to all or everyone; almost, approximately; concerning; in succession; so as to be or happen”, adverb), aboute, abouten (“surrounding; covering; over; upon; on the border of; in all directions; in the vicinity of, near to; in several places; everywhere, throughout; almost, approximately; concerning; engaged in; on behalf of”, preposition) (from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”)) + -s (suffix forming adverbs)); see further at thereabout. The English word is analysable as thereabout + -s (suffix forming adverbs).
The noun may result from a confusion of thereabouts with whereabouts.
The word is attested later than thereabout.
Base: thereabout
Affixes: -s
Inflected forms:
Senses:
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: [W]e reſolv'd to put into a ſmall River, which however had a Depth enough of Water for us, and to ſee if we could, either over Land, or by the Ship's Pinnace, come to know what Ships were in any Port thereabouts.
Quite a few minutes would be spun out, for instance, at the smallish town of Chirk, but to me the dalliance was generally worthwhile, except in wet weather, because of the increasing beauty of the wooded hill scenery thereabouts.
Dans added: “We talk about outer space and trips to Mars and then when you realise Nuuk is a three-hour flight from New York City, or thereabouts, it gets interesting.”
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: We ſtay'd by it a quarter of an Hour or thereabouts, 'till the Powder in the Eyes, and Mouth, and Ears of the Idol blew up; and we could perceive had ſplit and deform'd the Shape; […]
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: Fiue or ſix thouſand horſe I ſed, I will ſay true, or thereabouts ſet downe, for Ile ſpeake truth.
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
obsolete
gloss: Synonym of thereabout:
pos: adv
tags: figuratively
not-comparable
obsolete
examples: Cam. [i.e., Canidus.] Our Fortune on the Sea is out of breath,
And ſinkes moſt lamentably. Had our Generall
Bin what he knew himſelfe, it had gone well:
Oh his [i.e., he] ha's giuen example for our flight,
Moſt groſſely by his owne.
Eno[barbus]. I, are you thereabouts? Why then goodnight indeede.
Cam[illo]. I dare not know (my Lord.)
Pol[ixenes]. How, dare not? doe not? doe you know, and dare not?
Be intelligent to me, 'tis thereabouts:
For to your ſelfe, what you doe know, you muſt,
And cannot ſay, you dare not.
Amid[eo]. […] [D]o not work
Upon my pity; for I feel already
My ſtout heart melts.
Hip[polito]. Oh! are you thereabouts?
gloss: Location; whereabouts.
pos: noun
tags: plural
plural-only
examples: True, he had stopped at Langston Bucket by chance, and there was no reason why Mr. Boke should theorise as to his thereabouts.
My companions are not far off, and are aware of my thereabouts.
Related words: —
henceafter
henceforth
henceforward
henceforwards
hencefrom
hereabout
hereabouts
hereabove
hereafter
hereafters
hereagainst
hereamong
hereanent
hereat
hereaway
herebefore
hereby
herefor
herefore
hereforth
hereforward
hereforwards
herefrom
herehence
hereinabove
hereinafter
hereinbefore
hereinbelow
hereinelsewhere
hereinsoever
hereinto
hereinunder
heremid
hereof
hereon
hereout
hereover
herethrough
herethroughout
hereto
heretofore
hereunto
hereupon
herewith
herewithal
herewithin
herewithout
hitherto
hitherunto
hitherward
hitherwards
howbeit
however
howso
howsoever
howsomedever
howsomever
thataway
thatwise
thenceafter
thenceforth
thenceforward
thenceforwards
thencefrom
thenceout
thereabout
thereabove
thereacross
thereafter
thereafters
thereagain
thereagainst
therealong
thereamong
thereamongst
thereanent
therearound
thereat
thereaway
therebefore
therebeside
therebetween
therebeyond
thereby
therever
therefor
therefore
thereforth
therefrom
therehence
thereinabove
thereinafter
thereinbefore
thereinbelow
thereinto
thereinunder
theremid
thereof
thereon
thereout
thereover
theresoever
therethrough
therethroughout
thereto
theretofore
thereunto
thereup
thereupon
therewith
therewithal
therewithin
therewithout
thisaway
thiswise
thitherinsoever
thitherto
thitherward
thitherwards
whatever
whatso
whatsoever
whatsomedever
whatsomever
whatwise
whenabout
whenabouts
whenas
whenever
whenso
whensoever
whensomever
whenceafter
whencever
whenceforth
whenceforward
whencefrom
whenceward
whencewards
whereabout
whereabouts
whereabove
whereafter
whereafters
whereagainst
wherealong
whereamong
whereamongst
whereanent
wherearound
whereas
whereat
whereaway
wherebefore
wherebeside
wherebetween
wherebeyond
whereby
wherever
wherefor
wherefore
whereforth
wherefrom
wherehence
whereinabove
whereinafter
whereinbefore
whereinbelow
whereinsoever
whereinto
whereinunder
wheremid
whereof
whereon
whereout
whereover
whereso
wheresoever
wheresomever
wherethrough
wherethroughout
whereto
wheretofore
whereunto
whereup
whereupon
wherewith
wherewithal
wherewithin
wherewithout
whitherever
whitherinsoever
whitherso
whitherto
whithertofore
whitherward
whitherwards
whyever
whyfor
whyso
whysoever
1. Scottish2. from Middle English mid3. old dialectal form
Translations: