Alongst

/əˈlɔŋst/ preposition

Definition

An archaic or poetic form of 'along' or 'alongside,' used in older English texts.

Etymology

From 'along' plus the archaic suffix '-st' (which also appears in words like 'betwixt,' 'amongst'). This suffix was an older way of forming prepositions, and 'alongst' represents English from approximately the 15th-17th centuries.

Kelly Says

Words like 'alongst,' 'amongst,' and 'betwixt' show that Old English loved adding '-st' to make prepositions sound fancy and formal—it's like the ancestors of 'amongst' and 'amidst' that modern English kept but 'alongst' forgot!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.