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among vs amongst

It's direct from Old English, and is related to the word twā, which means "two." Yes, Thurber used the "correct" among here, since there are more than two people being discussed. Those two facts may be reason enough for amongst to stand out to an American speaker. Among and amongst - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary If swapping among for between sounds off somehow, then it probably is. Among is the older version of the word, tracing its roots back to Old English. The difference is less extreme in British English and other international English dialects, but among is always most common. The variant amongst didn’t appear for another 500 years or so until the 16th century. Out of the two words, among is much more commonly used in modern English, being used at a ratio of 10:1 by some estimates. This is likely the reason why some people insisted that it can only be used of two people or things—it's from the word "two"! Amongst other things, we will finish the house. For example. Both among and between date back to Old English. It comes from the antecedent on gemang, which yielded onmang before the year 1100. Use between when a one-to-one relationship or multiple binary relationships: The treasure map had been stuffed between the sofa cushions. —Jane Wagner. Which do you prefer? Between is typically used when referring to two things, like "between a rock and a hard place," while among is used for a greater number. Likewise amongst can be used in some rare instances in place of 'among,' but should not be used to make sentences sound more educated. While amongst is fairly common—though still rare compared to among—in British, Australian, and Canadian English, it is rare in American English and may even have an archaic ring. All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!” Among, on the other hand is the best word to use when referring to things collectively and imprecisely: for this reason, among many others; no honor among thieves. Pence takes aim at Biden DC support. Of these two words, among is the earlier of the pair, first appearing during the Old English period. Among and amongst are both prepositions, meaning in the midst of, surrounded by, in the company of, or in association with. Why did she say “Talk amongst yourselves” instead of “Talk among yourselves?” Is amongst a word? —Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, “But the bravest man amongst us is afraid of himself.” Summary: Among and amongst are interchangeable terms.Among is more common in modern writing. Among and amongst actually have the same meaning. Contents. In fact, our earliest use of between in English is in reference to the Apostles, and our sources confirm that there were definitely more than two of them. Then, you might wonder why there are two words for the same meaning. Assure: What’s the Difference? —Marcus Tullius Cicero, “Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.” Like many rules around use, you'd be wiser to follow your own native sense of the language than hewing strictly to them. Amongst vs. among are both prepositions, meaning in the company of or surrounded by. But it sounds awkward, especially given that among connotes vagueness, and following it up with the names of four distinct people, considered by Thurber to be on equal footing—in a very quadrangle, even—negates among's essential vagueness. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! This connotation stems from an earlier use of between that referred to a point between two places, or travel between two specific points. Are they just variations of the same word? Both words are prepositions that mean “into, surrounded by; in the midst of, so as to influence; with a share for each of; in the number, class, or group of; mutually; or by all or with the whole of.”. So what is the difference between among vs. amongst? In today’s post, I want to address all of these questions so that you’ll never have to second-guess yourself while writing either of these words again. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.” There was a group of tourists amongst my group in the museum. Among is the more common variant in American and British English. Among vs. Amongst A few theories claim that "among" is more commonly used in American English, while British English tends to prefer "amongst" as a tradition from a past period of the English vocabulary evolution, when the suffixes "-s" and "-st" were added to several words, mostly to obtain new adverbs such as "whilst" from "while". This means they can both be used interchangeably; it really is a matter of style for when you choose to use one over the other. Linda Richman, a Saturday Night Live character, would often give her audience an interesting topic to ponder, such as “The peanut is neither a pea nor a nut,” delivering the line in an exaggerated New York accent. We use between when we want to express a relation to things and have them considered as individual and usually equal entities: between the devil and the deep blue sea; the restaurant between my house and my work; a treaty between nations. However, these rules should be reconsidered if the sentence sounds awkward or overly pretentious. Amongst vs. among are both prepositions, meaning in the company of or surrounded by. ‘Fascism’: The Word’s Meaning and History, Set your young readers up for lifelong success, Study Up With Our Official SCRABBLE Dictionary. Loose vs. What should a discerning reader and writer do, then? 1 The Difference Between Among and Amongst; Do they have different meanings? Loosen: What’s the Difference? This sort of overcorrection is common when a writer wants to sound fancy or educated, but there is another overcorrection that gets grief from usage commentators: the substitution of the variant amongst for among or between. The answer to this is that there is no demonstrable difference of sense or function between the two words. —John W. Verity, Datamation, July 1982, Amongst the evidence were verbal slams from such network luminaries ... —John Weisman, TV Guide, 11 Sept. 1981, According to a recently released survey by ACNielsen, satellite-TV penetration into Saudi homes is now 80 percent: "Amongst the highest in the world." Because it appears less often than among, amongst can seem foreign, pretentious, or even incorrect. They can be used interchangeably, so choosing one over the other depends on writing style. Substituting 'among' for a more idiomatic 'between' can create more awkwardness than it solves. Mood: How to Use Tone and Mood in Your Writing, 5 Writing "Rules" That Are Really Guidelines, Beware of These Common Consistency Issues in Writing, 9 Powerful Writing Apps for Any Type of Writing Project, The 5 Best Writing Tools All Writers Need. Substituting among for a more idiomatic between can create more awkwardness than it solves: Mr. Mifflin has protested since 1914 that Ambrose Bierce would show up some day and flatly refute every single thing I have written about the amazing quadrangle that existed among Hodgson, Conrad, Nugent, and Eve. Amongst, whilst, whence, and amidst may sound dated to some, but they’re still part of the language. That's not to say that between and among have exactly the same use or connotation, though. Between. During this period, the English language added sounds to some words to form adverbs. However, these rules should be reconsidered if the sentence sounds awkward or overly pretentious. Amongst and among mean the same thing, but among is most common, particularly in American English. Among is more common in American English, while amongst used almost exclusively in British English. But between originally was like among: it referred to a number of people or things. Tone vs. But we have many not-so-quaint and unpretentious American uses of it in our files: Pelican is a wild town where one year before there had been a shootout of sorts amongst some fishermen,... —Donn Groom, Cruising World, March 1984, As many as 29 potential sites were found, each of which offered a dead spot amongst the maze of microwave beams. They are always fighting amongst themselves. Among is the more common variant in American and British English. Amongst may feel more archaic to speakers of American English, but among is actually the older word, dating back to Old English (circa 1000 CE). It is because a language develops and changes with time. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. Among vs. Home » Among vs. Amongst: What’s the Difference? In British English, amongst is used somewhat more frequently than in American English, but even in Great Britain among is the favored variant. Or something like that. Americans tend to always use among, while in the UK both among and amongst are used.. Name that government! Amongst appeared in Middle English. Among vs Amongst The difference between among and amongst has nothing to do with their meanings and connotations, rather this difference lies in their usage. History and Meaning. Fly steals focus during debate, litany Between, meanwhile, began its life a little after among. For example, So you’re now probably asking yourself, “Okay, when do I know which one to use?”. Use your instincts. What to Know. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? Or consider this use of among, which was definitely chosen over between entirely due to the numbers: The psychiatrist said under cross-examination...that he would include simultaneous intercourse among two men and a woman—a scene shown in the film—in the category of normal... —New York Times, 30 Dec. 1972. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. Use among (or amongst) to describe collective relationships: The key was hidden among the papers covering the desk. “Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Ensure vs. Insure vs. Among vs. Amongst: What’s the Difference? Even the best usage writers have set forth the among/between diktat and then immediately strayed: among, between: Among may apply to any number; between applies to two only.

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