† abouts, aboutes, adv. and prep.
a genitival form of about used in 5–6; still preserved in certain compound adverbs as hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts, and the obs. thenabouts. [prob. of northern origin, with -es for -en, as in northern genitives, plurals, possessive pronouns, and vbl. inflections.]
A. adv.
| c 1450 Lonelich Grail II. 27 In his herte hadde he gret thowht howh this mater abowtes schold ben browht. |
B. prep.
| c 1450 Lonelich Grail xxv. 215 Al and some abowtes him ganne to drawen. 1552–3 Inv. Church Goods, Stafford, 29 Abouts iiij yeres paste [they] solde xlix shepe & vi kie. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. ix. 36 His garment, nought but many ragged clouts..The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts. |