among
Part of speech: prep
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.
Proto-Germanic *an
Proto-West Germanic *ana
Old English on
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Germanic *ga-
Proto-West Germanic *ga-
Old English ġe-
Old English mang
Old English ġemang
Old English onġemang
Old English amang
Middle English among
English among
The preposition is derived from Middle English among, amang, amange, amonge (“in the presence of, amid, among; in, within; between; during”), from Old English amang, onġemang (preposition), from on (“on, among, in”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on, onto”)) + ġemang (“crowd; mixture”, noun) (from ġe- (prefix forming nouns denoting association or similarity) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by; near; with”)) + mang- (from mængan, mengan (“to mingle, mix”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to knead; to press”))). By surface analysis, a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’) + mong (“crowd, throng; group”).
The adverb is derived from Middle English among, amang (“accompanied by, along with, by the side of, in association with, together; all the while, continually; also, besides; at the same time; from time to time, occasionally; meanwhile; within”), from Old English onġemang (adverb): see further above.
cognates
* Dutch mank, maank (“among”)
* German mang (“among”) (dialectal)
* German Low German mank, manken (“among”)
* Saterland Frisian monk, monken (“among”)
* West Frisian mank (“among”)
Inflected forms:
form: amonge
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: amoung
pos: prep
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).
pos: prep
examples: to put the cat among the pigeons
And Adam hyd him ſelf with his wyfe [Eve], from the preſence of yͤ LORDE God amonge the trees of the garden.
As for the former [seaweed] called Zoſter, it is found among the ſhelves and ſhallovv vvaters not farre from the ſhore: both the one and the other appeare in the Spring, and be gone in the Autumne.
They [vinellos] are commo[n]ly ſold for 3 pence a Cod among the Spaniards in the VVeſt-Indies, and are ſold by the Druggiſt, for they are much uſed among Chocolate to perfume it.
When the good man skulked towards the boxes appointed for the Lacedemonians, that honest people, more virtuous than polite, rose up all to a man, and with the greatest respect received him among them.
She follovved the nuns to a chapel vvhere they uſually performed their devotions, and vvas there ſeated among the novices.
And like those waters rushing / Among the wooden piers, / A flood of thoughts came o'er me / That filled my eyes with tears.
We were among the crowd that gathered there, / And saw you play the Rabbi with great skill, […]
gloss: Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).
pos: prep
examples: How can you speak with authority about their customs when you have never lived among them?
In like maner Ephraim droue not out yͤ Cananites that dwelt at Gaſer [Gezer], but the Cananites dwelt amonge them at Gaſer.
[W]e ſee that Horſſes and Dogges vvhich liue among men, and heare their continuall voices, do diſcerne alſo their termes of threatning, chiding, & rating, and ſo ſtand in avve of them; […]
We have several of these irresistible gentlemen among us when the company is in town. These fellows are accomplished with the knowledge of the ordinary occurrences about court and town, have that sort of good breeding which is exclusive of all morality, and consists only in being publicly decent, privately dissolute.
[E]ven the VVhim and Caprice of one ruling Man among them, is enough to arm all the reſt, vvithout any private Vievvs of their ovvn, to the vvorſt and blackeſt Purpoſes; […]
gloss: Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).
pos: prep
examples: He is among the few who completely understand the subject.
All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism.
gloss: Of a person or thing: in the midst of and surrounded by (other people or things).
pos: prep
examples: When the history of this Nation, and our great State is written, it shall be recorded that John Dent was a giant among men, a humanitarian, and most of all, a man dedicated not only to the people who elected him, but a man dedicated to the nation as well.
gloss: Of an event or a fact.
pos: prep
gloss: Of an event or a fact.
pos: prep
examples: And if you come hether, / When Damſines [damsons] I gether, / I will part them all you among.
There is a lad here, which hath fiue barley loaues, and two ſmall fiſhes: but what are they among ſo many?
The scandal of a lie is in a manner lost and annihilated when diffused among several thousands; as a drop of the blackest tincture wears away and vanishes when mixed and confused in a considerable body of water; the blot is still in it, but is not able to discover itself.
gloss: Of an event or a fact.
pos: prep
examples: [Y]ou haue among you, kild a ſvveet and innocent lady: […]
If the Injury vvas done by more, vvho did all equally concur to the doing of it, they are all equally bound to make Satisfaction; […] every one is not bound to ſatisfie for the vvhole, but pro ratâ parte, for his ſhare; provided they do among them make full Satisfaction.
gloss: Of an event or a fact.
pos: prep
examples: Foraſmuch as many haue taken in hande to ſet foorth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely beeleued among vs, […] It ſeemed good to me alſo, hauing had perfect vnderſtanding of things from the very firſt, to write vnto thee in order, moſt excellent Theophilus, That thou mighteſt know the certaintie of thoſe things wherein thou haſt bene inſtructed.
Such is the variety of opinions which are here entertained of me, so that I pass among some for a disaffected person, and among others for a popish priest; among some for a wizard, and among others for a murderer; and all this for no other reason that I can imagine but because I do not hoot, and hollow, and make a noise.
gloss: Of an event or a fact.
pos: prep
examples: Lactose intolerance is common among people of Asian heritage.
Then was there diſcenſion amõge [amonge] the Jewes for theſe ſayenges.
There goeth a commen reporte, that there is whordome amõge [amonge] you, and ſuch whordome, as is not once named amõge the Heythen, that one ſhulde haue his fathers wife.
[…] I alvvayes thought / It vvas both impious and vnnaturall, / That ſuch immanity and bloody ſtrife / Should reigne among Profeſſors of one Faith.
[T]he dissensions of the barons, who were then so many petty princes, ran very high, whether they quarrelled among themselves, or with their neighbours, and produced unspeakable calamities to the country.
Synonyms: amid
amidst
amongst
Derived words: among other things
fall among
first among equals
hereamong
honor among thieves
honour among thieves
man among men
put the cat among the pigeons
set the cat among the pigeons
thereamong
there is no honor among thieves
whereamong
woman among women
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: tussen
lang: Arabic
word: بَيْنَ
roman: bayna
lang: Arabic
word: بين
roman: bēn
lang: Arabic
word: بين
roman: bēn
lang: Armenian
word: մեջ
roman: meǰ
lang: Armenian
word: միջև
roman: miǰew
lang: Asturian
word: ente
lang: Azerbaijani
word: arasında
lang: Belarusian
word: сяро́д
roman: sjaród
lang: Belarusian
word: памі́ж
roman: pamíž
lang: Bengali
word: মাঝে
roman: majhe
lang: Bulgarian
word: сред
roman: sred
lang: Bulgarian
word: между́
roman: meždú
lang: Catalan
word: entre
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 其中
roman: qízhōng
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 之間 /之间
roman: zhījiān
lang: Czech
word: mezi
lang: Danish
word: mellem
lang: Danish
word: blandt
lang: Dutch
word: tussen
lang: Dutch
word: onder
lang: Egyptian
word: m-m
lang: Egyptian
word: Z11-m-Z4: -t:W
roman: jmjtw
lang: Esperanto
word: inter
lang: Finnish
word: joukossa
lang: Finnish
word: keskellä
lang: Finnish
word: seassa
lang: French
word: parmi
lang: Middle French
word: parmy
lang: Middle French
word: emmy
lang: Georgian
word: შორის
roman: šoris
lang: German
word: unter
lang: German
word: zwischen
lang: Gothic
word: 𐌹𐌽
roman: in
lang: Greek
word: ανάμεσα
roman: anámesa
lang: Haitian Creole
word: pami
lang: Hebrew
word: בְּתוֹךְ
roman: b'tokh
lang: Hindi
word: के बीच में
roman: ke bīc mẽ
lang: Hindi
word: में
roman: mẽ
lang: Hungarian
word: között
lang: Icelandic
word: meðal
lang: Ido
word: inter
lang: Indonesian
word: antara
lang: Indonesian
word: di antara
lang: Indonesian
word: dalam
lang: Indonesian
word: di tengah
lang: Irish
word: i measc
lang: Old Irish
word: eter
lang: Italian
word: tra
lang: Italian
word: fra
lang: Italian
word: in mezzo a
lang: Japanese
word: 中
roman: naka
lang: Japanese
word: 間
roman: aida
lang: Judeo-Italian
word: אֵינְפֵֿירַה
lang: Khmer
word: នៅក្នុង
roman: nɨv knoŋ
lang: Khmer
word: នៅក្នុងចំណោម
roman: nɨv knoŋ cɑmnaom
lang: Korean
word: 가운데에
roman: gaunde-e
lang: Korean
word: 속에
roman: sog-e
lang: Central Kurdish
word: نێوان
roman: nêwan
lang: Latin
word: inter
lang: Latvian
word: starp
lang: Latvian
word: vidū
lang: Low German
word: mang
lang: Low German
word: mank
lang: Macedonian
word: меѓу
roman: meǵu
lang: Macedonian
word: помеѓу
roman: pomeǵu
lang: Malay
word: dalam kalangan
lang: Malayalam
word: ഇടയ്ക്ക്
roman: iṭaykkŭ
lang: Malayalam
word: ഇടയിൽ
roman: iṭayil
lang: Maltese
word: fost
lang: Mongolian
word: дунд
roman: dund
lang: Mongolian
word: дотор
roman: dotor
lang: Navajo
word: atah
lang: Norman
word: parmi
lang: Norwegian
word: blant
lang: Norwegian
word: mellom
lang: Old English
word: mid
lang: Old English
word: betweox
lang: Old English
word: betweoh
lang: Old English
word: under
lang: Old Saxon
word: gimang
lang: Old Saxon
word: an gimang
lang: Persian
word: در میان
roman: dar miyân-e
lang: Polish
word: wśród
lang: Polish
word: pośród
lang: Polish
word: między
lang: Polish
word: pomiędzy
lang: Portuguese
word: entre
lang: Romanian
word: între
lang: Romanian
word: printre
lang: Russian
word: среди́
roman: sredí
lang: Russian
word: средь
roman: sredʹ
lang: Russian
word: ме́жду
roman: méždu
lang: Scots
word: amang
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: међу
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: među
lang: Slovak
word: medzi
lang: Slovene
word: med
lang: Spanish
word: entre
lang: Swahili
word: miongoni mwa
lang: Swedish
word: bland
lang: Thai
word: ท่ามกลาง
roman: tâam-glaang
lang: Ukrainian
word: сере́д
roman: seréd
lang: Ukrainian
word: між
roman: miž
lang: Vietnamese
word: trong số
lang: Zazaki
word: myan
lang: Zazaki
word: nabên
lang: Zazaki
word: mabên