Etymologically
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within

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /wɪˈðɪn/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English withinne, inherited from Old English wiþinnan (“on the inside, from within”),[2][3][4] a compound, from Old English wiþ (“against, with”) + innan (“inside, within”),[5][3][6] literally “against the inside”.[2][3] Innan is itself formed from in with a suffix meaning “from”,[7] and the Middle English word was assimilated to in.[4] It is the opposite of without.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

As an adverb, “on the inner side, inside”: late Old English.[5][4]

Semantic evolution

The preposition “in the interior of, inside the limits of” is from the 12th century.[5][8] From 1297 to 1475 it also meant “into”, with verbs of motion.[9] Within has meant “in this document, herein” since 1387,[9] from within is recorded from 1490,[9] and “in the membership of a group” from 1526.[9] The noun is from the 15th century[8] and the adjective “inner” from 1748.[8][9] As an adverb it is now archaic or literary.[4]

Timeline

  • late Old English – adverb wiþinnan.[5]
  • 12th century – preposition.[5][8]
  • 1387 – in this document.[9]
  • 15th century – noun.[8]
  • 1490 – from within.[9]
  • 1526 – among the members of a group.[9]
  • 1748 – adjective.[8][9]

Modern meaning

Preposition

  1. Inside; in the inner part of.
  2. Not beyond the limits of in time or distance: within an hour.
  3. Inside the scope or sphere of: within the law.
  4. Not more than a stated amount: within ten percent.

Adverb

  1. (literary) Inside; inwardly, in the mind or heart.

Noun

  1. An inner place or position: from within.

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  8. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)