whilom, adv. (a.), conj.
(ˈhwaɪləm)
Forms: 1 hwilum, -on, -an, -un, wilum, 3 (Orm.) whilumm, hwilem, (h)wylem, hwylen, ȝwilene, wilen, 3–4 whilen, 4 whylon, (whilhom), 4–5 whilum, 4–6 whylome, 4–7 whylom, 5 whylum, whilene, 6 whillon, (Sc. vhylome), 7 Sc. whillome, 8 whillom, 4– whilome, whilom; 3–4 quilum, 4 Sc. qwhilom, 4–5 Sc. quhilom, 4–6 Sc. quhilum, quhylum, 5 Sc. qwhilum, qwhylum, qwylum, 6 quilome.
[OE. hw{iacu}lum, later -on, -an, = OS. hwîlon at times (MDu., MLG. wîlen formerly, Du. wijlen late = deceased), OHG. hwîlôn, -on (MHG. wîlen, wîlent, G. weiland formerly) dat. pl. of while n.]
A. adv. (adj.)
† 1. At times: = while adv. 1, whiles 6 b. Obs.
| a 900 O.E. Martyrol. 7 July, Ymb tweᵹen daᵹas, hwilum ymb þry, hwilum æfter ealre wucan. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xxix. 53 Hwilum cerreð eft on uprodor ælbeorhta leᵹ, leoht lyfte; liᵹeð him behindan hefiᵹ hrusan dæl, þeah hit hwilan ær eorðe sio cealde oninnan hire heold. a 1300 Cursor M. 25166 Þar es resun qui vr bon Es noght granted us quilum sun. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1788 Whilum þei went on alle four..& whan þei wery were þei went vp-riȝttes. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1145 Thai tiltine to-gederz; Whilome Arthure ouer, and other-while vndyre. ? a 1550 Freiris Berwik 353 in Maitland Folio MS. (S.T.S.) 143 And quhylum he sat still in ane studeying, And quhylum on his buik he was reyding. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. Poems xlii. 24 Flie vhylome love, and it will folou thee. |
2. At some past time; some time before or ago; once upon a time: = while adv. 2, whiles 6 a. arch.
| c 1200 Ormin 4868 Ure Laferrd Crist himm sellf Uss ȝaff heroffe bisne, Þær þær he seȝȝde himm sellf whilumm Þurrh hiss prophetess tunge. c 1205 Lay. 28633 Þa wes hit iwurðen þat Merlin seide whilen. c 1250 Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 27 Hi offrede Stor, þet me offrede wylem be þo ialde laghe to here godes sacrefise. a 1300 Cursor M. 6786 To cumlinges do yee right na suike, For quilum war yee seluen slike. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1 Whilom as olde stories tellen vs Ther was a duc þat highte Theseus. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ii. Prol. 22 As Orosius qwhilum wrate. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge ii. 2021 Auncient poetes..Whilom flouryng in eloquence facundious. 1581 A. Hall Iliad iv. 66 Oyntments..T'aswage the paine: the which whilom the cunning Chyron taughte To Esculape. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 72 This Polydor whillon..Too king Treicius was sent. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. ii. lxi. (1674) 213 The whilome powerful Kingdom of Hungary. 1682 Dryden Mac Flecknoe 35 The Lute I whilom strung. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones x. viii, The 'squire..began to roar forth the name of Sophia as loudly..as whilom did Hercules that of Hylas. 1808 Scott Marm. iv. xi, Where oft whilom were captives pent. 1879 Jefferies Wild Life in S. Co. i. 10 The wistful eyes which whilom glanced down..upon the sweet clover fields. |
b. as adj. That existed, or was such, at a former time; former; † of a person, ‘late’, deceased (obs.): = while adv. 2 b. arch.
| 1452 in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) II. 387 All them that had arte or parte of the slaughter..of whylum William, Earle of Douglas, my brother. 1581 A. Hall Iliad iv. 70 Thy whilome sire..neuer quaild in mortal ioyne. a 1657 Sir W. Mure Hist. Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 249 Designeing her the wife to whillome S{supr} Adame Mure. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. v. iii, General Doppet, a whilom Medical man. 1868 G. Duff Pol. Surv. 151 Mexico..that whilom dependency of the Spanish Crown. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. lxxvii. III. 17 When superstition and the habit of submission have vanished from the whilome subjects. |
† 3. At a future time, some time; in future.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17732 Quilum sal þis ilk barn Be to sum men in uprising, Til oþer sum in dun falling. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 81 Therfore I purpose..All suche ydlenes whylom to refuse. |
B. conj. = while conj. 1, 3. dial.
| 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle, etc. 121 A man..With whom his father held much conversation Whilome he livde. 1647 Ward Simple Cobler 51 Subjects their King, the King his Subjects greets, Whilome the Scepter and the Plough-staffe meets. 1854 A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss., Whilom, whilst, during which time. ‘Stay whilom I come.’ |
¶ Aberrant uses. of whilom: for some time past. So this whilom.
| 1619 Fletcher Mons. Thomas iv. ii, This mony I do give ye, because of whilom You have been thought my son. c 1620 Z. Boyd Zion's Flowers (1855) 72, I wot not, what in mee is come to pass, In mee this whilome who most gladely was. |
Hence [with -s, after whiles] † whiloms adv. Sc. Obs. (5 quhillumys, 6 quhyllum(m)is, quhylomis; cf. WFris. wilens), at times, sometimes.
| a 1500 Bernard. de cura rei fam. 219 Gef quhillumys pleseis ioculatoris,..Fenȝe þe þar fantasy to here. a 1585 Montgomerie Flyting 508 In þe bark of ane bowrtrie, quhyllumis they bed it. 1768 Ross Helenore i. 69 Whiloms they tented, an' sometimes they plaid. |