Etymology
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From Middle English ther-aboute ther-abouten ( “ of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; surrounding it; nearby, neighbouring; here and there, throughout that place; of an action, matter, etc.: about, concerning; of an amount or distance: approximately, more or less; of time: about then, around that time ” ) [ and other forms ] [1] Old English þǣr-ābūtan þǣr-onbūtan þǣr ( “ there ” ) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só ( “ this; that ” ) + *-r abūtan onbūtan ( “ about; round about; on; on the outside ” ) (from on- ( prefix meaning ‘on; upon; there; thither; to’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ( “ on; onto ” ) ) + būtan ( “ just, merely, only ” ) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- *úd ( “ away; out; outwards; upwards ” ) )). The English word is analysable as there about [2]
The word is attested earlier than thereabouts
Pronunciation
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thereabout (not comparable )
About or near that place .
Synonym: thereabouts About or around that date or time .
Synonym: thereabouts Dinner will be ready at six-thirty or thereabout .
About or near to that condition or quality .
Synonym: thereabouts
Approximately that number or quantity .
Synonym: thereabouts The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, right? Yes, thereabout .
( obsolete ) About that; concerning that.
Synonyms: thereabouts ( Scotland ) thereanent 1611 The Holy Bible, [ … ] King James Version ), London: [ … ] Robert Barker , [ … ] →OCLC Luke 24:3–4 And they entred in, and found not the body of the Lord Jeſus . And it came to paſſe, as they were much perplexed thereabout , behold, two men ſtood by them in ſhining garments.
( figuratively ) activity or situation .
Synonym: thereabouts Translations
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about or near that place
Bulgarian: около (bg) ( okolo )
Dutch: daaromheen (nl)
Finnish: noilla main tuollapäin ( of a location pointed at ) , niillä main sielläpäin ( of a location that is not pointed at but indicated otherwise )
German: daherum dortherum in der Gegend um die Ecke (de)
Italian: nei dintorni nei pressi nelle vicinanze
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: wan deran
Portuguese: em torno disto
Russian: о́коло того́ ( ókolo tovó ) , о́коло э́того ( ókolo étovo )
Spanish: algo por ahí
Swedish: däromkring (sv)
Ukrainian: десь там ( desʹ tam ) , поруч ( poruč )
about or around that date or time
about or near to that condition or quality
approximately that number or quantity
See also
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( about ) : hereabout , thereabout , whereabout ( abouts ) : hereabouts , thereabouts , whereabouts ( after ) : hereafter , thereafter , whereafter ( again ) : thereagain ( against ) : hereagainst , thereagainst , whereagainst ( among ) : hereamong , thereamong , whereamong ( amongst ) : thereamongst , whereamongst ( around ) : therearound , wherearound ( as ) : thereas , whereas ( at ) : hereat , thereat , whereat ( before ) : herebefore , therebefore ( beside ) : therebeside ( between ) : therebetween , wherebetween ( by ) : hereby , thereby , whereby ( for ) : herefor , therefor , wherefor ( fore ) : herefore , therefore , wherefore ( from ) : herefrom , therefrom , wherefrom ( hence ) : herehence , therehence ( in ) : herein , therein , wherein ( in after ) : hereinafter , thereinafter , whereinafter ( in before ) : hereinbefore , thereinbefore , whereinbefore ( into ) : hereinto , thereinto , whereinto ( of ) : hereof , thereof , whereof ( on ) : hereon , thereon , whereon ( out ) : hereout , thereout , whereout ( to ) : hereto , thereto , whereto ( tofore ) : heretofore , theretofore , wheretofore ( under ) : hereunder , thereunder , whereunder ( unto ) : hereunto , thereunto , whereunto ( upon ) : hereupon , thereupon , whereupon ( with ) : herewith , therewith , wherewith ( withal ) : herewithal , therewithal , wherewithal
References
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^ “thē̆r-abǒute(n, adv. ”, in MED Online University of Michigan , 2007
^ “thereabout, adv. ”, in OED Online Oxford University Press , June 2021 “thereabouts (also thereabout) , adv. ”, in Lexico Dictionary.com ; Oxford University Press , 2019–2022 Anagrams
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, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021; “thereabouts (also thereabout), adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
