But like many maxims about grammar and usage, this isn't necessarily the case. Substituting 'among' for a more idiomatic 'between' can create more awkwardness than it solves. Both among and between date back to Old English.
Among was originally a phrase on gemonge that meant "in a crowd," and the noun gemonge came from a verb that means "to mingle or mix. Between , meanwhile, began its life a little after among. But between originally was like among : it referred to a number of people or things. In fact, our earliest use of between in English is in reference to the Apostles, and our sources confirm that there were definitely more than two of them.
That's not to say that between and among have exactly the same use or connotation, though. We use between when we want to express a relation to things and have them considered as individual and usually equal entities: between the devil and the deep blue sea; the restaurant between my house and my work; a treaty between nations.
This connotation stems from an earlier use of between that referred to a point between two places, or travel between two specific points. Among , on the other hand is the best word to use when referring to things collectively and imprecisely: for this reason, among many others; no honor among thieves. Like many rules around use, you'd be wiser to follow your own native sense of the language than hewing strictly to them.
Substituting among for a more idiomatic between can create more awkwardness than it solves:. Mifflin has protested since that Ambrose Bierce would show up some day and flatly refute every single thing I have written about the amazing quadrangle that existed among Hodgson, Conrad, Nugent, and Eve.
Yes, Thurber used the "correct" among here, since there are more than two people being discussed. But it sounds awkward, especially given that among connotes vagueness, and following it up with the names of four distinct people, considered by Thurber to be on equal footing—in a very quadrangle, even—negates among's essential vagueness.
Or consider this use of among , which was definitely chosen over between entirely due to the numbers:. The psychiatrist said under cross-examination Grammar 6 min read. Among vs. Main Among vs. Amongst Takeaways: There is no absolute rule when it comes to among vs.
They are interchangeable. Among is more common in American English , while amongst appears more often in British English. Among and amongst are prepositions, meaning they express a relationship between the elements of a clause. Among and amongst can mean surrounded by , in company with , or in the midst of.
The origins of these words can be dated back to the Old English phrase on gemonge , which means in a crowd. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars. Eliminate errors, get topic ideas, increase productivity, and outrank your competition with the 1 smartest content editor — INK. He traveled amongst outcroppings of rock that looked like towers.
We sat amongst the wildflowers. We sat among the wildflowers. For 30 years, the elderly woman lived amongst the birch trees in the forest. Amongst the most popular flowers that year were roses, daffodils, and irises. Upon returning from overseas, the brave soldiers were treated like gods among men.
My closet is such a mess, I can find anything amongst all the clutter. I lost my keys amongst all of the commotion at the game.
Sending the files to our corporate office is among my priorities today. She danced among the crowd. Among all of the cities in Texas, Houston is the most vibrant. She was having a hard time deciding between Harvard, Yale, and Cornell. She was having a hard time deciding among the universities. She was having a hard time deciding among st the universities. Use between when the sentence names distinct, individual things. Choose among if there are three or more items that are not specifically named or belong to a group.
Amongst Question 1. And if so, what is the difference between among and amongst? Among is the older version of the word, tracing its roots back to Old English. Amongst appeared in Middle English.
During this period, the English language added sounds to some words to form adverbs. In modern English, we still have some words like that, such as once , always , and unawares. Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!
But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.
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