among English · revision 2509

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 899 (Alfred's Pastoral Care)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈmʌŋ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|among]] (also [[m|enm|amang]]), [[inh|ang|onmang]], contracted from [[m|ang|ongemang]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) originally the phrase [[m|ang|on gemang|t=in a crowd]], from [[m|ang|on|t=in]] and [[m|ang|gemang|t=mingling, crowd]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(COED 2004) which is related to [[m|ang|gemengan|t=to mingle]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) Etymonline traces this to [[gem-pro|*mangjan|t=to knead together]], perhaps from [[ine-pro|*mag-|t=to knead, fashion]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Compare [[osx|angimang|t=among, amid]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It is related to [[mingle]].^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the midst of: Old English ''onmang'', ''ongemang'', before 899, in Alfred's translation of Gregory's ''Pastoral Care''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The collective prefix ''ge-'' was dropped in the 12th century, leaving ''onmong'', ''amang'' and ''among'',^(Etymonline) and ''among'' is recorded before 1121.^(Barnhart 1988) With the adverbial ''-s'' it became ''amonges'' in the 13th century, which gave ''amongest'' and ''amongst'' in the 16th.^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Old adverbial senses, “meanwhile” and “together”, lasted until about 1600.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 899 – Old English ''onmang'' (Alfred).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1121 – ''among''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 13th century – ''amonges''.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 16th century – ''amongst''.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # In the midst of; surrounded by.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # In the group or class of: ''among the best''.^(AHD)

+ # In the company of; in association with.^(AHD)

+ # By many or all of: ''popular among students''.^(AHD)

+ # By the joint action of.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # With shares to each of: ''divided among them''.^(AHD)

+ # Each with the other: ''quarrelling among themselves''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[amongst]]

+ * [[mingle]]

+ * [[amid]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}