albethey

English

WOTD – 30 July 2023

Etymology

An alteration of albeit, replacing it with they. Albeit literally means “although it [may] be”, but has become univerbated as a conjunction in Standard English. Accordingly, a phrase like “they were good parents, albeit indulgent” should be read as “albeit [that they were] indulgent”. Speakers who are still aware of the underlying construct, however, may feel that they should be used for “proper” agreement. (Theoretically, this would require other forms like *albehe, *albeshe, etc., depending on the context.)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɔːlˈbiðeɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɔlˈbiðeɪ/
• Hyphenation: al‧be‧they

Conjunction

albethey

1. (nonstandard, rare) Used when introducing information referring to a plural phrase: alternative form of albeit
   • 1963, International Peace Research Newsletter, volume 14, [Boulder, Colo.?]: International Peace Research Association, →OCLC, page 38:

     Men felt that they were being deliberately excluded, other women felt this was the “separatist élitism” of which the women’s movement is so often accused. When a group of men did join us for a couple of sessions, there was a complete change in dynamic: it was necessary to have a chairperson, and to some of us it became clear yet again, that it is almost impossible to talk about your oppression with the oppressors (albethey potential or unconscious oppressors).

   • 1972, M. Abel et al., edited by Saral Kumar Chatterji, The Asian Meaning of Modernization: East Asia Christian Conference Studies, Delhi: […] [F]or the East Asia Christian Conference by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Christian Literature Society and Lucknow Pub. House, →OCLC, page 136:

     But we would submit that it is going much too far to claim that all secularization arises from biblical influences—albethey indirect or incognito in many cases.

   • 1976, Society and Leisure: Bulletin for Sociology of Leisure, Education and Culture, volume 3, Prague: European Centre for Leisure and Education, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 97:

     When, for example, asked what they favoured most about living in the area, a number of residents mentioned “open spaces” (albethey vanishing) and “horses” (stabled at a nearby riding school).

   • 1977, R. D. Taylor, “Trade Unions and Librarianship”, in Gileon Holroyd, editor, Studies in Library Management, volume 4, London: Clive Bingley; Hamden, Conn.: Linnet Books, →ISBN, →ISSN, part II, page 97:

     The absence of any well established union structure can severely inhibit and possibly damage a service standard by virtue of the resultant inaction on behalf of inadequately motivated staff. This will arise whenever there is a situation where the library policy is controlled by non-professionals, albethey democratically elected laymen, or whenever the library director is involved with policy making: both these factors have already been broached in a quotation above.

   • 2005, Laurence [F. R.] Grove, “Where Have All the Nazis Gone?”, in Text/Image Mosaics in French Culture: Emblems and Comic Strips (Studies in European Cultural Transition; 23), Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing, →ISBN, part IV (Thematics), page 108:

     In a typical early issue of Le Journal de Mickey from the 1930s, of the six ‘bandes dessinées’ four have domestic settings, albethey American. The strip entitled Pim Pam Poum (The Katzenjammer Kids), for example, revolves around the rude awakening elderly members of the family receive as a result of a goat being introduced into their bedroom.

Translations

alternative form of albeit — see albeit