adv. (adj.), conj. Forms: 1 hwilum, -on, -an, -un, wilum, 3 (Orm.) whilumm, hwilem, (h)wylem, hwylen, ȝwilene, wilen, 3–4 whilen, 4 whylon, (whilhom), 4–5 whilum, 4–6 whylome, 4–7 whylom, 5 whylum, whilene, 6 whillon, (Sc. vhylome), 7 Sc. whillome, 8 whillom, 4– whilome, whilom; 3–4 quilum, 4 Sc. qwhilom, 4–5 Sc. quhilom, 4–6 Sc. quhilum, quhylum, 5 Sc. qwhilum, qwhylum, qwylum, 6 quilome. [OE. hwílum, later -on, -an, = OS. hwîlon at times (MDu., MLG. wîlen formerly, Du. wijlen late = deceased), OHG. hwîlôn, -on (MHG. wîlen, wîlent, G. weiland formerly) dat. pl. of WHILE sb.]
A. adv. (adj.)
† 1. At times: = WHILE adv. 1, WHILES 6 b. Obs.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 7 July. Ymb tweʓen daʓas, hwilum ymb þry, hwilum æfter ealre wucan.
a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., xxix. 53. Hwilum cerreð eft on uprodor ælbeorhta leʓ, leoht lyfte; liʓeð him behindan hefiʓ hrusan dæl, þeah hit hwilan ær eorðe sio cealde oninnan hire heold.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25166. Þar es resun qui vr bon Es noght granted us quilum sun.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1788. Whilum þei went on alle four … & whan þei wery were þei went vp-riȝttes.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1145. Thai tiltine to-gederz; Whilome Arthure ouer, and other-while vndyre.
a. 1550[?]. Freiris Berwik, 353, in Maitland Folio MS. (S.T.S.), 143. And quhylum he sat still in ane studeying, And quhylum on his buik he was reyding.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xlii. 24. Flie vhylome love, and it will folou thee.
2. At some past time; some time before or ago; once upon a time: = WHILE adv. 2, WHILES 6 a. arch.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4868. Ure Laferrd Crist himm sellf Uss ȝaff heroffe bisne, Þær þær he seȝȝde himm sellf whilumm Þurrh hiss prophetess tunge.
c. 1205. Lay., 28633. Þa wes hit iwurðen þat Merlin seide whilen.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 27. Hi offrede Stor, þet me offrede wylem be þo ialde laghe to here godes sacrefise.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6786. To cumlinges do yee right na suike, For quilum war yee seluen slike.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1. Whilom as olde stories tellen vs Ther was a duc þat highte Theseus.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., II. Prol. 22. As Orosius qwhilum wrate.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, II. 2021. Auncient poetes … Whilom flouryng in eloquence facundious.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, IV. 66. Oyntments … T’aswage the paine: the which whilom the cunning Chyron taughte To Esculape.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 72. This Polydor whillon … Too king Treicius was sent.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., II. lxi. (1674), 213. The whilome powerful Kingdom of Hungary.
1682. Dryden, Mac Flecknoe, 35. The Lute I whilom strung.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, X. viii. The ’squire … began to roar forth the name of Sophia as loudly … as whilom did Hercules that of Hylas.
1808. Scott, Marmion, IV. xi. Where oft whilom were captives pent.
1879. Jefferies, Wild Life in S. Co., i. 10. The wistful eyes which whilom glanced down … upon the sweet clover fields.
b. as adj. That existed, or was such, at a former time; former; † of a person, ‘late,’ deceased (obs.): = WHILE adv. 2 b. arch.
1452. in Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), II. 387. All them that had arte or parte of the slaughter … of whylum William, Earle of Douglas, my brother.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, IV. 70. Thy whilome sire … neuer quaild in mortal ioyne.
a. 1657. Sir W. Mure, Hist., Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 249. Designeing her the wife to whillome Sr Adame Mure.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. v. iii. General Doppet, a whilom Medical man.
1868. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 151. Mexico … that whilom dependency of the Spanish Crown.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., lxxvii. III. 17. When superstition and the habit of submission have vanished from the whilome subjects.
† 3. At a future time, some time; in future.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17732. Quilum sal þis ilk barn Be to sum men in uprising, Til oþer sum in dun falling.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 81. Therfore I purpose … All suche ydlenes whylom to refuse.
B. conj. = WHILE conj. 1, 3. dial.
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle, etc., 121. A man … With whom his father held much conversation Whilome he livde.
1647. Ward, Simple Cobler, 51. Subjects their King, the King his Subjects greets, Whilome the Scepter and the Plough-staffe meets.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Whilom, whilst, during which time. ‘Stay whilom I come,’
¶ Aberrant uses. Of whilom: for some time past. So this whilom.
1619. Fletcher, Mons. Thomas, IV. ii. This mony I do give ye, because of whilom You have been thought my son.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 72. I wot not, what in mee is come to pass, In mee this whilome who most gladely was.
Hence (with -s, after WHILES] † Whiloms adv. Sc. Obs. (5 quhillumys, 6 quhyllum(m)is, quhylomis; cf. WFris. wilens), at times, sometimes.
a. 1500. Bernard. de cura rei fam., 219. Gef quhillumys pleseis ioculatoris,… Fenȝe þe þar fantasy to here.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 508. In þe bark of ane bowrtrie, quhyllumis they bed it.
1768. Ross, Helenore, I. 69. Whiloms they tented, an’ sometimes they plaid.
