ERSTWHILE

[Dr. Goodword]

• erstwhile •

Pronunciation: êrst-hwail • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb

Meaning: Former(ly), previous(ly), whilom.

Notes: Today's Good Word is a lexical orphan because of its age: all its immediate relatives are long since dead or in serious condition. It is amazing that we still occasionally read it and, in academia at least, hear it from time to distantly displaced time. When we forget erst, we can use while alone if we suffix it properly: whilom means the same thing: "He is the whilom editor of The Good Speler's Guide."

In Play: We suggest erstwhile as a Good Word because it is less formal and a bit sexier than former: "My erstwhile friend Phil Anders has been dating my sister for a month. I don't want her going out with anyone who has friends like me!" This word works just as well as an adverb: "The bears that erstwhile teemed in the forest are now hunkered down around the city garbage dump."

Word History: Today's Good Word is made up of two solidly English words, one of which is easily recognizable: erst + while. While comes from Old English hwil, which goes back to an ancient root kwei- "to rest, be quiet". In addition to while, it produced quies, quietis "quiet" in Latin. This word became quei in Old French and coi "quiet, speechless" in Modern French. English borrowed it as coy. Erst started out as the superlative of the adverb (preposition, conjunction) ere "before, earlier", as to leave ere morning breaks along the horizon (conjunction). In fact, that's it before the suffix -ly in early. The superlative, erst, originally meant "earliest" and, yes, it is a cousin of German ehe "earlier, before" and erst "first". (Today we owe thanks to Joayne Larson, who overcame any erstwhile hesitancy and suggested today's Good Word.)

[Slava]

This word is commonly used to mean something along the lines of "supposed," as in, "Phil Anders, my supposed friend, is cheating on his wife, my sister."

I even saw it used this way in the WSJ in early August, in an article on the Russia/Georgia war.

[engineer27]

I even saw it used this way in the WSJ in early August, in an article on the Russia/Georgia war.

I guess the WSJ's erstwhile grammarians are out looking for other work.

[engineer27]

• erstwhile •
While comes from Old English hwil, which goes back to an ancient root kwei- "to rest, be quiet".

I guess that sense is still available in the phrase "to while away."

[scw1217]

I loved the history of this one. Very interesting!

[Perry]

This word is commonly used to mean something along the lines of "supposed," as in, "Phil Anders, my supposed friend, is cheating on his wife, my sister."

I even saw it used this way in the WSJ in early August, in an article on the Russia/Georgia war.

Gosh. I hope that you don't mean Anders from the other Agora!

[Slava]

Gosh. I hope that you don't mean Anders from the other Agora!

You're not philandering on a different Agora, are you? I'm crushed. I thought we were the one and only.

[engineer27]

Gosh. I hope that you don't mean Anders from the other Agora!

You're not philandering on a different Agora, are you? I'm crushed. I thought we were the one and only.

From logophile to logophilanderer. Such a shame.

[Stargzer]

Gosh. I hope that you don't mean Anders from the other Agora!

You're not philandering on a different Agora, are you? I'm crushed. I thought we were the one and only.

He's referring to The Site That Shall Not Be Named. Many of us fled hither thence. AlphaDictionary is the Alpha Dog of Dictionary sites, and we are the Alpha Dog of Agoras.

And no, we are not talking about AWAD.

[Slava]

He's referring to The Site That Shall Not Be Named. Many of us fled hither thence. AlphaDictionary is the Alpha Dog of Dictionary site, and we are the Alpha Dog of Agoras.

And no, we are not talking about AWAD.

Aha, I'd forgotten about that other one. I used to belong to that one, too.

As to AWAD, I dropped Anu when I pointed out an error and he refused to correct it. Fie on him.

[Cacasenno]

What, another Alpha Agora?
Where, where, where?

[Stargzer]

What, another Agora?
Where, where, where?

A long time ago in an Internet not so far away, the first Agora was overtaken by scoundrels who conspired with The Dark Side. Dr. Language and a small coterie fled the Dark Lords, and, leaving the weeping and crashing of servers, founded a new site, AlphaDictionary, and the AlphaAgora. In the process he metamorphosed into Dr. Goodword, champion of wondrous words, scintillating speech, and glorious grammar everywhere.

If one contrasts this earlier picture of Dr. Language:



with this later picture of Dr. Goodword (on the left):



one can see the damage inflicted by those traumatic, trying times. That he survived this ordeal at all is a testament to his temperment, his resilience, and his commitment to right the wrongs of writing and speech in our world.

LONG LIVE DR. GOODWORD!

[Perry]

What he said!

[Dr. Goodword]

Larry,

Larry,

Your appreciation is deeply appreciated. I still sometimes wonder if I made the right decision going out on my own back in 2004 but, even though fewer people have discovered alphaDictionary (the number is growing), I'm enjoying my tasks here more without business minds hovering over me. (I try to be a good businessman but that is not my first concern as, no doubt, is obvious.)

I first started with A Web of Online Dictionaries on the Bucknell website back in 1996. The current website is essentially a continuation of that effort via yourDictionary.com (2000-2004). Yes, hair is falling out, teeth are loosening, and I had a half pint of what looked to be Mountain Dew removed from my knee today. But I still sit well in front of my computer and, as long as I set well with you guys, with the help of Andrew and Dawn, I will keep on keeping on.

[Stargzer]

Hey, Doc, I was just filling in some history for our new recruits, especially since one seemed to take an untoward interest in the old site! Your old photo, and Audra's, still exist on That Other Site. According to a Yahoo! search, I think she teaches some online English courses at University of Maryland University College (UMUC) a short piece down the road from me, but either she hasn't checked her UMUC email in the last few days or there's another Dr. Audra Himes in the world. She seems to have dropped off the planet after that auto accident long, long ago.

I seem to vaguely remember A Web of Online Dictionaries, back in the dim, dark, ancient past, and I think I hit that page a few times looking for a special dictionary. It was basically a set of links to other online dictionaries, wasn't it, back when the Web was very young? It was one of the first sites that gathered a comprehensive list of dictionary links into one place.

Alas, I still miss interacting with Audra, Grant, M. Henri Day, and Palewriter, and even KatyBr. I hope they are all doing well. I know Agoraphile is, even if he doesn't drop in here so often!

Here's to old friends!

As the Hound From Hell snores noisily on the sofa across from him, Stargzer tips up the last of his Rum and Dr. Pepper before he falls asleelp in his recliner with his laptop on his laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ................ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz