betimes

English

WOTD – 7 August 2008

Etymology

From Middle English bitimes, from bi (“by”) + time + adverbial -s. Equivalent to betime +‎ -s. Compare also betides.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /bɪˈtaɪmz/, /bəˈtaɪmz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪmz

Adverb

betimes (not comparable)

1. (dated) In good season or time; early, especially in the morning; seasonably.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 24:5:

     Behold, as wilde asses in the desart, goe they foorth to their worke, rising betimes for a pray: the wildernes yeeldeth food for them, and for their children.

   • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:

     They slept well that night and betimes next morning the mother of Alaeddin arose and went with her bowl to the King's court which she found closed.

   • 1840, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter I, in Mercedes of Castile: Or, The Voyage to Cathay. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, page 20:

     “I’ll answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan and the Moor, in his time, young as he may seem. Thou knowest that the nobles are wont to carry their sons, as children, early into the fight, that they may learn the deeds of chivalry betimes.”

   • 1896, A. E. Housman, “To An Athlete Dying Young,”, in A Shropshire Lad:

     Smart lad to slip betimes away
     From fields where glory does not stay.

   • 1902, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 13, in The Hound of the Baskervilles:

     I was up betimes in the morning, but Holmes was afoot earlier still, for I saw him as I dressed, coming up the drive.

   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 786:

     However they dined very early, for the winter dusk fell betimes at this season [...].

2. (archaic) In a short time, soon; quickly, forthwith.
   • 1898, The High History of the Holy Graal, translated by Sebastian Evans, Branch IX, Title II:

     [O]ne prayed God right heartily aloud that He would send them betimes a knight that durst convoy them through this strait pass.

   • 1839, Doctrine and Covenants‎^[1], 121:43:

     Reproving betimes with sharpness...and afterward showing forth an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved […]

Translations

in good season or time

• Bulgarian: навреме (bg) (navreme), своевременно (bg) (svoevremenno)
• Estonian: vara (et)
• Finnish: aikaisin (fi), pian (fi)
• German: beizeiten (de)
• Irish:

  Old Irish: moch

• Polish: zawczasu (pl)
• Scottish Gaelic: moch
• Spanish: al alba
• Swedish: tidigt (sv)
• Turkish: erken (tr), erkenden (tr), vaktinde (tr), zamanında (tr)