somewhile, adv. Now rare.
(ˈsʌmhwaɪl)
Forms: 2–3 sum wile, 3 sum(e) hwile, 4 sumwhyle, 4–6 -while; 4–5 sumquile, -quyle, 5 -qwile; 5 somwhyle, 7 -while; 5 some wile, somewhyle, 5–7, 9 somewhile.
[f. some a.1 + while n.; cf. WFlem. somwijl. In early use freq. written as two words.]
1. † a. At or in some former time; erewhile; formerly. Obs.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137, Sume ieden on ælmes þe waren sum wile rice-men. c 1230 Hali Meid. 5 Syon was sum hwile iclepet þe hehe tur of Ierusalem. 13.. K. Alis. 1527 (W.), Ther was sum while, over us, A kyng that hette Neptanabus. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 625 Hit is a syngne þat Salamon set sum-quyle. a 1400–50 Alexander 2994 Þan was an ymage within..Of Sexeres þat sum-quyle þat cite had to welde. 1591 Spenser Ruins of Rome 242 These..Pallaces..were shepheards cottages somewhile. 1654 H. L'Estrange Chas. I (1655) 65 That shell which was some-while the continent of so vast treasures of knowledge. |
† b. somewhile since, some time ago. Obs.
| 1652 Needham tr. Selden's Mare Cl. 115 Nor must wee let it pass, that somwhile since, there were two Constitutions pretended to in France. |
c. attrib., passing into adj. Former, sometime.
| 1860 Ainsworth Ovingdean Grange 11 Highly dangerous to the spiritual welfare of his somewhile flock. 1888 N. & Q. 7th Ser. VI. 19/1 Richard Doyle, somewhile illustrator of Punch. |
† 2. On a certain occasion in the past; once; at one time. Obs. rare.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 43 We findeð on þe holie boc, þat ure helende..ferde sumwile mid mede ouere water. a 1300 Cursor M. 4751 Þe caf he cast o corn sumquile In þe flum þat hait þe nile. c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. xcix. viii, For sinne they somewhile smarted. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iii. §88. 349 The souldiers that came from Newhaven that was somwhile besieged, and after taken by the enemy. |
3. At some (unspecified) time; at one time or other; at times, sometimes. Also † at somewhile.
| c 1250 Owl & Night. 6 Þat playd wes..starc & strong, Sum hwile softe & lud among. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 367, I have herd sein..That thei som while here cause ladden Be merci. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 11427 What ys the cause..That a swerd burnysshed cler, Somwhyle rusteth? c 1456 Pecock Bk. of Faith (1909) 252 Peraventure he schal have nede at sumwhile. 1559 Mirr. Mag. (1563) A iv, To serue kings in al pointes men must sum while breke rules. 1560 Whitehorne Arte Warre 9 b, Some while it hapned, that in one self time there were manie Emperours. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. May 126 Tho vnder colour of shepeheards, somewhile There crept in Wolues, ful of fraude and guile. 1628 Gaule Pract. The. (1629) 109 An vniuersall King does not onely some-while fore-goe, but some-what resemble the King Eternall. 1629 in Bradford Plymouth Plant. (1856) 246 These now sente..must, some while, be chargable to you & us. 1855 J. Nichol in Mem. (1896) iii. 130 The ‘beautiful vision’ with which all lives worth living have been somewhile brightened. |
b. With correlative somewhile or † other whiles.
| a 1240 Lofsong in O.E. Hom. I. 205 Sumehwile to pleiful, to drupi oðer hwiles. 13.. Cursor M. 7433 (Gött.), Sumquile [v.r. oþerwhile] wid harpe, sumquile wid sang. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. xx. (1859) 26 How ofte haue I warned the byfore, Som whyle aperte, som whyle pryuely. 1575 T. Vautrollier Luther on Ep. Galat. 161 In whom is found continually, somewhile the time of the law, and somewhile the time of grace. 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 399 It is tearmed some while, a blessing themselues; some while an encouraging themselues in a wicked purpose. |
4. For some time.
| 1864 Pusey Daniel (1876) 302 His grandfather himself must have been somewhile dead. |