thereabouts

English

WOTD – 7 October 2021

Etymology

PIE word
*só
PIE word
*úd

The adverb is derived from Middle English there-aboutes, þare aboutes (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms],[1] from ther (“in that place, in those places, there; on that; thither, to that place; from there, thence; at that time; thereupon; in that situation, under those circumstances; in that case, with regard to that”)[2] (from Old English þǣr (“there”)) + aboutes (“in all directions, around”, adverb),[3] aboutes (“in all directions from, on all sides of; near; concerned with”, preposition)[4] (from aboute, abouten (“so as to surround; so as to cover; on the border or edge; as measured around the outside; to as to travel around something; so as to revolve about an axis or centre; aside; in all directions; in the vicinity; in connection with something; in several places; everywhere, throughout; to all or everyone; almost, approximately; concerning; in succession; so as to be or happen”, adverb),[5] aboute, abouten (“surrounding; covering; over; upon; on the border of; in all directions; in the vicinity of, near to; in several places; everywhere, throughout; almost, approximately; concerning; engaged in; on behalf of”, preposition)[6] (from Old English abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”)) + -s (suffix forming adverbs));[7] see further at thereabout. The English word is analysable as thereabout +‎ -s (suffix forming adverbs).[8][9]

The noun may result from a confusion of thereabouts with whereabouts.

The word is attested later than thereabout.[8]

Pronunciation

  • Adverb:
    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ðɛəɹəˈbaʊts/, /ˈðɛəɹəbaʊts/
    • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈðɛɹəˌbaʊts/, /ˌðɛɹəˈbaʊts/
    • Audio (General American):(file)
  • Noun:
  • Hyphenation: there‧a‧bouts

Adverb

thereabouts (not comparable)

  1. Synonym of thereabout:
    1. About or near that place.
      • 1719, [Daniel Defoe], The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 266:
        [W]e reſolv'd to put into a ſmall River, which however had a Depth enough of Water for us, and to ſee if we could, either over Land, or by the Ship's Pinnace, come to know what Ships were in any Port thereabouts.
      • 1955 January, R. S. McNaught, “From the Severn to the Mersey by Great Western”, in Railway Magazine, page 18:
        Quite a few minutes would be spun out, for instance, at the smallish town of Chirk, but to me the dalliance was generally worthwhile, except in wet weather, because of the increasing beauty of the wooded hill scenery thereabouts.
    2. About or around that date or time.
    3. About or near to that condition or quality.
    4. Approximately that number or quantity.
    5. (obsolete)
      1. About that; concerning that.
      2. (figuratively) Near to that activity or situation.
        • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene x], page 355, column 2:
          Cam. [i.e., Canidus.] Our Fortune on the Sea is out of breath,
          And ſinkes moſt lamentably. Had our Generall
          Bin what he knew himſelfe, it had gone well:
          Oh his [i.e., he] ha's giuen example for our flight,
          Moſt groſſely by his owne.
          Eno[barbus]. I, are you thereabouts? Why then goodnight indeede.
          Canidus. Our fortune [in the battle] on the sea is out of breath,
          And sinks most lamentably. Had our general
          Been his old self, it would have gone well.
          Oh, he has given us an example for our desertion,
          Most grossly by his own.
          Enobarbus. Ay, are you near that situation [i.e., also considering desertion]? Why, then we must be at the end indeed.
        • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 280, column 2:
          Cam[illo]. I dare not know (my Lord.)
          Pol[ixenes]. How, dare not? doe not? doe you know, and dare not?
          Be intelligent to me, 'tis thereabouts:
          For to your ſelfe, what you doe know, you muſt,
          And cannot ſay, you dare not.
        • 1675, John Driden [i.e., John Dryden], The Rival Ladies. A Tragi-comedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene iii, page 46:
          Amid[eo]. […] [D]o not work
          Upon my pity; for I feel already
          My ſtout heart melts.
          Hip[polito]. Oh! are you thereabouts?

Usage notes

Thereabouts is more common in the English spoken in Southern England than thereabout.[8]

Translations

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence — — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts hereabove — hereafter hereafters — hereagainst — hereamong hereamongst hereanent — — hereat hereaway — herebefore — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — — — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — — herewith herewithal herewithin herewithout
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
that — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thataway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thatwise — — — —
thence — — — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabove thereacross thereafter thereafters thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat thereaway — therebefore 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
this — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thisaway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thiswise — — — —
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — whatwise — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
whence — — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts whereabove — whereafter whereafters — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat whereaway — wherebefore 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

Noun

thereabouts pl (plural only)

  1. (possibly erroneous) Location; whereabouts.
    • 1905, Robert Ernest Vernède, The Pursuit of Mr. Faviel, page 89:
      True, he had stopped at Langston Bucket by chance, and there was no reason why Mr. Boke should theorise as to his thereabouts.
    • 2014, Dave Duncan, The Stricken Field:
      My companions are not far off, and are aware of my thereabouts.

References

  1. ^ “thē̆r-abǒutes, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “thē̆r, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  3. ^ “abǒutes, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. ^ “abǒutes, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  5. ^ “abǒute(n, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  6. ^ “abǒute(n, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  7. ^ “-(e)s, suf.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 “thereabouts, adv.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2021.
  9. ^ “thereabouts (also thereabout), adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

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