Jump to content

whenabout

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From when +‎ about.

Adverb

[edit]

whenabout (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Approximately in time.
    • 1907, New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates - Volume 139, page 376:
      In the first place, I wish to congratulate the Premier upon the spirit which has inspired him to bring about the change from “colony” to “dominion": and the only defect in the spirit I can really find is that he is premature to the extent of whenabout fifty years.
  2. At what approximate time?
    • 1877, Gilbert White, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, page 147:
      Having expected the Rector of Faringdon for some time at my house, I could not so well say whenabout we should endeavour to get to Town ;
    • 1913, James Stalker, How to Read Shakespeare: A Guide for the General Reader, page 221:
      yet the results are only approximate; and in the dates given below no painful accuracy is attempted; it being enough for our purpose to know when or whenabout any drama was produced.

Noun

[edit]

whenabout (uncountable)

  1. The approximate time
    • 1855 March, “Editors' Tableau”, in Genius of the West: A Magazine of Western Literature, volume 4, number 3, page 92:
      AFTER a dogged silence of long months, in which there have been scores of anxious inquiries on the part of our readers, as to his whereabout, whatabout, and whenabout, -and when-to-be-about, - the INDIFFERENT MAN has at length, in the cool indifference of his own good time, 'forked over' the stanzas below, composed on the daguerrotype shado of a sweetheart whom he had never seen.
    • 1919, University of Illinois. High school visitor, Proceedings of the High School Conference, page 358:
      Moreover, two events which are simultaneous to one observer, are not necessarily simultaneous to another observer. The whereabout depends upon the whenabout and the whenabout depends upon the whereabout, not only that, but each depends also on the velocity of an observer.

See also

[edit]
Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts across after again against along among amongst anent[1] around as at beit beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid[2] of on out over so soever somedever somever[3] through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards with withal within without
hence — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts — hereafter — hereagainst — hereamong hereamongst hereanent — — hereat — — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — heresoever — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — herewith herewithal herewithin —
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
thence — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabouts thereacross thereafter thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat — therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth — — therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow — — thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover — theresoever — — therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — − — − — — − − — — — —
whence — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts — whereafter — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat — wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth — — wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow — whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever — wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon — — wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
  1. ^ Scottish
  2. ^ from Middle English mid
  3. ^ old dialectal form
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=whenabout&oldid=84012400"