Amongst
"Amongst" is an older English form of "among." In Southern and Appalachian speech, it has survived longer than in most other regions, often showing up in church talk or everyday conversation.
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synonyms: amid, among
Hillbilly Dude Says...
If you're out in the country, you'll hear 'amongst' used. Hillbilly Dude Says...
If you're out in the country, you'll hear 'amongst' used. Pronunciation
[uh-MUHNGST uhs] /əˈmʌŋst əs/
Meaning & Usage
- In the company of / within our group (prepositional phrase)
Clara:
There’s a traitor amongst us, stirring up trouble.
There’s a traitor amongst us, stirring up trouble.Origin and Etymology
From Middle English, where amongst developed as a variant of among with the added "-st" ending. While amongst remained standard in British English, in American English it gradually fell out of common use. It lingered in Southern and Appalachian speech, influenced by the region’s close ties to older Biblical and rural English forms.
Usage Notes
- Amongst is widely recognized as old-fashioned or poetic in modern American English.
- In the South and Appalachia, amongst has remained natural in both religious and everyday speech.
- Though not unique to the South, its survival there makes it a hallmark of regional dialect and old-time talk.