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] from Old English þǣr-ābūtan , þǣr-onbūtan , from 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 .
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 , column 2: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 ) Near to that activity or situation .
Synonym: thereabouts
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 , por ahí (es) , a eso de , a aqueso de
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
( about ) hereabout , thereabout , whereabout ( abouts ) hereabouts , thereabouts , whereabouts ( after ) hereafter , thereafter , whereafter ( against ) hereagainst , thereagainst , whereagainst ( again ) thereagain ( among ) hereamong , thereamong , whereamong ( amongst ) hereamongst , thereamongst , whereamongst ( anent ) hereanent , thereanent , whereanent ( around ) therearound , wherearound ( as ) thereas , whereas ( at ) hereat , thereat , whereat ( before ) herebefore , therebefore ( beside ) therebeside ( between ) therebetween , wherebetween ( by ) hereby , thereby , whereby ( ever ) herever , therever , wherever ( fore ) herefore , therefore , wherefore ( for ) herefor , therefor , wherefor ( from ) herefrom , therefrom , wherefrom ( hence ) herehence , therehence ( in after ) hereinafter , thereinafter , whereinafter ( in before ) hereinbefore , thereinbefore , whereinbefore ( in ) herein , therein , wherein ( in soever ) whereinsoever ( into ) hereinto , thereinto , whereinto ( in which ) whereinwhich ( of ) hereof , thereof , whereof ( on ) hereon , thereon , whereon ( out ) hereout , thereout , whereout ( soever ) wheresoever ( somever ) wheresomever ( so ) whereso ( tofore ) heretofore , theretofore , wheretofore ( to ) hereto , thereto , whereto ( under ) hereunder , thereunder , whereunder ( unto ) hereunto , thereunto , whereunto ( upon ) hereupon , thereupon , whereupon ( withal ) herewithal , therewithal , wherewithal ( with ) herewith , therewith , wherewith ( within ) herewithin , therewithin , wherewithin ( without ) herewithout , therewithout , wherewithout
^ “thē̆r-abǒute(n, adv. ”, in MED Online , Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan , 2007 .
^ “thereabout, adv. ”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press , June 2021 ; “thereabouts (also thereabout) , adv. ”, in Lexico , Dictionary.com ; Oxford University Press , 2019–2022 .