| 释义 |
among, adv. and prep.|əˈmʌŋ|
Forms: 1 on ᵹemonge, on ᵹemang(e, 1–2 onmang(e, 1–6 amang(e (north. after 3), 2–6 amonge, 2– among, 6– 'mong. North. 4 omang, 4– amang. Also 2 enmang, 4–5 emang, 5 in mange, emonge, 5–6 emong. See i-mong.
[orig. a phrase, on in + ᵹemang mingling, assemblage, crowd (f. ᵹemengan to mingle, combine: see meng); hence, with a n. in the genitive, ‘in the assemblage or company of,’ then used prepositionally with dat. or acc. Bef. 1100, the full on ᵹemang(e was reduced to onmang, whence by regular phonetic gradation amang, among. The simple ᵹemang was also used prepositionally without on, giving later ymong, i-mong, mong. Between among and imong, thus used side by side, arose emong. Modern poets also abbreviate among to 'mong. There was a parallel bimong.]
A. prep.
Prim. sign. In the mingling or assemblage of; hence, surrounded by and associated with.
(Cf. amid, -st, sometimes loosely used instead.)
Passage from phrase to preposition:—
a1000Elene (Grein) 105 On feonda ᵹemang [= in the company of the enemies]. c1000Metr. Ps. lxxxi. 1 God mihtiᵹ stód godum on ᵹemonge [= the good among, in company with the good].
I. Of relation between object and objects.
1. Of the local relation of a thing (or things) to several surrounding objects with which it is grouped: Surrounded by locally. (With pl. n.)
a1000Metr. Ps. xxv. 9 Ne forleos mine sawle onᵹemang þam arleasum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. x. 16 Swa sceap ᵹemang wulfas [Lindisf. in middum vel inmong; Rushw. in midde]. c1160Hatton G. ibid., Swa scep onmang wulfen. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 195 Alse shep amang wulfes. 1250Lay. 17742 Com vt..among alle his cnihtes. c1300Pop. Sc. (Wright) 133 Among all the planetes the sonne a-midde is. c1374Chaucer Troylus iv. 697 The body sate amange hem there. 1382Wyclif Matt. xiii. 7 Other seedis felden amonge thornis. 1535Coverdale Gen. iii. 8 Amonge the trees of the garden. 1605Verstegan Dec. Intell. i. (1628) 6 To run up and downe one among another like madmen. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. ii. 18 To make me wait at doore..'Mong Boyes, Groomes, and Lackeyes. 1711Steele Spect. No. 6 ⁋6 The Lacedemonians rose up..and..received him among them. 1842Longfellow Slave's Dream iii, He saw once more his dark-eyed queen Among her children stand. c1842― Bridge vi, Like those waters rushing Among the wooden piers.
(β) (See also emong.)
1375Barbour Bruce x. 709 He emang his fayis al Defendit him full douchtely. c1460Townley Myst. 22 Emang both more and myn. 1592Davies Astræa in Chalmers Eng. Poets V. 101/2 Fair month..Emong thy days her birthday is.
b. among the hands of: under the charge of, while being treated or attended to by, (Fr. entre les mains de). Obs. or dial.
1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 97/3 He deyed sodaynly emong the handes of the sergeans. 1534Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E vj b, They that haue the charge of a prince..haue amonge theyr handes, hym that afterwarde oughte to gouerne. 1535Coverdale Jer. xviii. 4 The vessel that the Potter made off claye brake amonge his hondes. Mod. north. The work that we have among our hands, i.e. with which we are engaged.
2. Of the relation of a thing (or things) to the whole surrounding group or composite substance: Surrounded by the separate components or particles of. (With collectives, and sing. names of substances; with the latter in is often substituted.)
c1175Lamb. Hom. 43 Þe leit a-monge þunre. c1200Ormin 15367 Siþþen don þeȝȝ falls annd flærd Amang þe gode lare. c1300Pop. Sc. (Wright) 135 Whan hit cometh among the fur. c1384Chaucer H. Fame 1687 A potful of bawme..Amonge a basket ful of roses. 1535Fisher Wks. (1883) 437 This multitude, amonge whiche our sauiour Christe was. 1697W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 235 Vinello's..are much used among Chocolate to perfume it. 1712Steele Spect. No. 431 ⁋3 A..Stone, which I found among the gravel. 1810Scott Lady of L. iii. xi, Among the bubbling blood. 1851Longfellow Gold. Leg. 165 We were among the crowd that gathered there.
3. Of the relation of anything in a local group to the other members of the group, although these do not actually surround it; as of an individual to the other members of the same community: In company, association, communion, or residence with or beside; in the house, city, or country of. (= L. apud, Fr. chez, Ger. bei.)
c1175Lamb. Hom. 19 He com among us. c1200Ormin 299 Hæfedd preost Amang Iudisskenn þeode. c1230Ancr. R. 158 Ich wunie among men. c1250Gen. & Ex. 700 Cristes helpe be us amonge! 1387Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. VII. 45 Otho regnede among Duchesmen [apud Teutonicos]. 1535Coverdale Judg. i, The Cananites dwelt among them at Gaser. 1711Steele Spect. No. 156 ⁋3 We have several of these irresistible Gentlemen among us when the Company is in Town. 1756Burke Vind. Nat. Soc. Wks. I. 32 The whim and caprice of one ruling man among them. 1807Crabbe Par. Reg. i. 478 Susan..had some pride Among our topmost people to preside.
4. Of the relation of a thing to others in the same nominal or logical group: In the number or class of.
1297R. Glouc. 393 Roberd Courtehese þuderward hys herte caste..among oþere gode knyȝtes. 1340Ayenb. 103 Amang alle þe heȝe names of oure lhorde þis is þe uerste. c1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 6551 Omang alle þat þar has bene sene, I fynde wryten paynes fourtene. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xiii. i. (1495) 438 Amonge all elementes water is prouffytablest. 1477Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 1 Among other ther was..in my companye a worshipful gentylman. 1665Manley Grotius's L.-Countr.-Warrs 297 Many were wounded, among whom was Count William. 1777Hume Ess. & Treat. I. 86 Among the other excellencies of man. 1792G. Wakefield Mem. I. 529 My poetical taste is among the most fastidious. 1849Sir J. Stephen Eccl. Biog. I. 111 It is among the mysteries which we are bound to revere.
b. esp. of things distinguished in kind from the rest of the group: Preeminent among, as distinguished from, in comparison with, above the others.
c1230Ancr. R. 2 Moni cunne riwle beoð, auh tuo beoð among alle þet ich chulle speke of. c1375in Rel. Ant. I. 40 As the male..among trees of wodes, So is my derlyng among sones. 1382Wyclif Luke i. 28 Blessid be thou among wymmen! [Ags. on wifum]. a1450York Myst. Pewterers F j, In mange al othir ane bare I. 1523Ld. Berners Froissart I. cccli. 564 Your folkes haue brent my house, the whiche I loued among all other. c1590Marlowe Faustus 149 Mong which, as chief, Faustus, we come to thee. Mod. She is one among many. He is a Saul among the people.
II. Of the relation of a predicable (attribute, action, event) to things or circumstances.
†5. Of the relation of a fact or event to the circumstances which surround it; esp. (in early usage) to the time during or in course of which it happens. Obs.
c1075O.E. Chron. (Laud. MS.) an. 1002 On ᵹemang þysum ofsloh Leofsiᵹ..þæs cynges heah ᵹerefan. Ibid. an. 1052 Þa amang þison þa wearð Godwine eorl ᵹewarnod. 1131Ibid. an. 1127 Ofslaᵹen on ane circe..amang þane messe. 1154Ibid. an. 1135 En-mang þis was his nefe cumen to Engle-land. 1250Lay. 18174 Amang þis motinge Merlyn atwende. c1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 2240 Omang his grete anguys, Hym þai sal tak. 1475Caxton Jason 12 b, Among these thinges during these triews the king of sklauonye sente his propre messager. 1483― Gold. Leg. 155/1 Saynt ambrose..gaue up his ghoost emonge the wordes of his prayers. 1528Gardiner in Pocock Rec. Ref. I. lii. 137 Among all which requests nothing certain is proponed. a1691Baxter in Tulloch Eng. Purit. iii. 306, I never went to any place among all my life..which I had before..thought of.
†b. Hence conjunctive phr. among that: during the time that, whilst. Obs.
a1075O.E. Chron. (Laud. MS.) an. 1046 Amanᵹ þam þe hi ridon. c1123Ibid. an. 1105 Onmang þam þe he þær wunode. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 183 Among þat þe sowle witeð . þe licame worpeð hewe.
6. Of the relation of any action or attribute pervading a group to the members of the group: With or by (the members of a group) generally.
c1200Ormin 2350 Nass þatt næfre fundenn ær Amang wimmenn onn eorþe. 1250Lay. 29590 Amang the king his cnihtes me cleope[de] heom moglynges. 1297R. Glouc. 50 Ac þer was among hem deol ynow. 1481Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 4 Vsed..emonge marchantes and other comone peple. 1483Act 1 Rich. III, i. §1 Grevous vexacions daily growen among the King's Subgiettis. 1535Coverdale 1 Cor. v. 1 There goeth a commen reporte, that there is whordome amonge you. 1611Bible 1 Sam. xvii. 12 The man went among men for an old man in the dayes of Saul. 1711Addison Spect. No. 131 ⁋7, I pass among some for a disaffected Person. 1807Syd. Smith Plymley's Lett. i. Wks. III. 62 To render the military service popular among the Irish. 1877W. Lytteil Landm. iii. iv. 118 The strife of ages may have blotted out their remembrances from among men.
7. Of the relation of distribution or division to the various partakers: Divided between, in portions to each of, to be shared by severally.
1297R. Glouc. 23 Þis lond was deled a þre among þre sones. c1300K. Alis. 4677 He nam Daries tresour, And pertid hit among his kynne. 1382Wyclif John vi. 9 What ben thes thingis among so many men? 1611Bible ibid., What are they among so many? 1712Addison Spect. No. 507 ⁋5 The scandal of a lie..when diffused among several thousand. Mod. That leaves five shillings among us.
8. Of the relation of joint action to the various actors: By the joint action of.
1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. iv. 19 The man is dead that you and Pistoll beate among you. 1599― Much Ado v. i. 194 You haue among you kill'd a sweet and innocent Ladie. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xii. 100 His first sojourn at Fécamp, his hermit life, his abbacy at Florence..might well take up 24 years among them. Mod. Do it among you.
9. Of the relation of reciprocal action between the members of a group.
1340Ayenb. 65 Huanne þe dyeuel yziȝþ loue and onynge among uolke. 1535Coverdale John x. 19 Then was there discension amonge the Iewes for these sayenges. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. i. 14 That such bloody strife Should reigne among Professors of one Faith. 1682Norris Hierocles 34 Hence come wars among Relations, treacheries among Friends. 1711Addison Spect. No. 70 ⁋4 Whether they quarrelled among themselves, or with their neighbours. 1874Farrar Christ II. 303 The uncertainty as to what He meant carried the disciples once more to questions among themselves.
B. adv. [The prep. used ellipt.]
†1. During this (period), meanwhile, all the while, at the same time. Obs.
1250Lay. 5110 Þar was gleomenne songe, Þar was piping among. a1300Cursor M. 88 Of hir to mak bath rim and sang, And luue hir suette sun amang. c1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 3370 Wreth es dedly syn omang, If it be halden in hert lang. 1387Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. VII. 7 Elsynus bisshop of Wynchestre evere among fondede to have þe see. c1400Court of Love xi, So than apace I journied forth amonge. c1440Morte Arth. (1819) 98 Hys fader dred he euyr among. c1550Bale Johan (1838) 11, I am his gostly father and techear amonge. 1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. iii. 21 Lustie Lads rome heere, and there; So merrily, and euer among so merrily. 1598Greenwey Tacitus Ann. i. xi. 20 Fortune ruled the rest, and some honest men were slaine among.
†2. Betweenwhiles, at intervals, from time to time, now and then. ever among: every now and then; rarely of place, every here and there. Obs.
a1250Owl & Night. 6 Sum wile softe, and lud among. a1300Floriz & Bl. 431 Floriz siȝte and weop among. c1420Pallad. on Husb. ix. 86 Ere amonge ther be Welles wel colde. c1449Pecock Repr. ii. xii. 221 He schal seelde among be occupied of us. 1489Caxton Faytes of Armes i. xiii. 35 By suche a way hath many an oost suffred emonge grete honger. 1567J. Maplet Greene Forest 69 To eate Flies, and now & then among to eate crummie and dry earth. 1606Holland Suetonius 26 Admonishing his soldiers ever and among, to observe and have an ey unto him.
†3. Of place: Together, among something else.
1602Warner Alb. Eng. xi. lxi. (1612) 271 Yeat interlace we shall among the loue of her and him. a1613Overbury A Wife (1638) 67 She travels to and among, and so becomes a woman of good entertainment. 1624Bedell Lett. xi. 143 Here is..some truth mingled among.
C. Comb. among-hands (north.): see A 1 b.
1855Atkinson Whitby Gloss., Amang hands, work done conjointly with other things. ‘We can do't amang hands,’ or ‘all under one.’ |