Word of the Day Wednesday

Admittedly I do not think I have heard this word.  I may be wrong, but me being wrong, nope do not think so!  Us mom's are never wrong! *chuckle*

So...our word for today's Word of the Day Wednesday is:

Whilom - \WYE-lum\ - adjective: former
 
Examples sentence: "His fatal miscalculation, however, might be his personal attacks on his whilom friend...." (The Baltimore Sun, May 2003)

Did you know?

"Whilom" shares an ancestor with the word "while." Both trace back to the Old English word "hwil," meaning "time" or "while." In Old English "hwilum" was an adverb meaning "at times." This use passed into Middle English (with a variety of spellings, one of which was "whilom"), and in the 12th century the word acquired the meaning "formerly." The adverb's usage dwindled toward the end of the 19th century, and it has since been labeled "archaic." The adjective first appeared on the scene in the 15th century, with the now-obsolete meaning "deceased," and by the end of the 16th century it was being used with the meaning "former." It's a relatively uncommon word, but it does see occasional use.



Have a great day and don't forget to try out your new word today!








My thanks to Merriam-Webster online, yet again for our new word all information pertaining to said word: whilom.