adv. (and a.). Forms: 3–6 sometyme, 6– sometime, 4–6 somtyme, 4, 6 Sc. -tym, 4–5, 7 -time; 4–6 sumtyme (6 summ-), 4 -time, 5 -tym; 4 sumetime, 5 -tyme. [f. SOME a.1 + TIME sb. Down to the 16th c. written either as one word or as two; even in later use the distinction between sometime and some time is not always clear (cf. SOME a.1 4 c).]
1. At one time or another, with the possibility of recurrence or repetition; now and then; occasionally; = SOMETIMES 1.
Common in the 16th and 19th centuries; now rare or Obs.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 5880. Þarfor maysters som tyme uses þe wand Þat has childer to lere.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 13185 (Fairf.). Ȝet fallis sum-time in fraunce wodemen atte saint Iones tide atte þe kirke bote to bide.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 81. But som-tyme þis Reubarb is venomous.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 44. An hid defaut is sumtyme in nature.
1545. Raynald, Byrth Mankynde, 63 b. Lykewyse somtyme it commeth to passe that the syde of the chylde commeth forwarde.
1592. Timme, Ten Eng. Lepers, M j. They … grow verie impacient, and some time dispaire of release.
1622. Wither, Philarete (1633), K 5 b. My heart is sometime heavy, when I smile.
1679. T. Puller, Moder. Ch. Eng. (1843), 227. But sometime fear is the beginning of wisdom.
1700. S. L., trans. Fryke’s Voy. E. Ind., Ed. Ded. A ij. I am apt to think, a Dedication sometime to be none of the least [troublesome].
1809. Syd. Smith, Serm., I. 286. The very name used to denote it, however unjustly it may be, sometime, applied.
† b. Sometime … sometime, used to introduce antithetical words, clauses, etc. Also with sometimes in the first or second place. Obs.
(a) 1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 3438. Þus were … þe saxons Some tyme aboue & some (tyme) bineþe.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 28. Somtime nay, somtime yee, Somtime he cam, somtime noght.
1451. Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, 102. He be-gan to pray, sumtyme loud, sumtyme soft, sumtyme saying, sumtyme singing.
c. 1537. De Benese, Meas. Lande, A j. Somtyme the sellers … somtyme ye byers … be greatly deceyued by the meters thereof.
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., I. iii. 10. Going in such sort, as sometime he kept the Sea, and sometime droue towards the lande.
1660. H. Bloome, Archit., A j. Gutta, are drops sometime round, sometime in Triangle fashion.
1700. Wallis, in Collect. (O.H.S.), I. 316. Dr. Keil sometime at Oxford and sometime at Cambridge alternately, hath … gone through a course of Anatomy.
(b) 1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1590), 2. Sometime these madcaps be at a fray: sometimes at a feast.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. V. iii. 226. This humor … is sometime in the substance of the Braine, sometimes contained in the Membranes…, sometimes in the passages [etc.].
(c) 1599. Shaks., Much Ado, III. iii. 142. Sometimes fashioning them like Pharaoes souldiours…, sometime like god Bels priests…, sometime like the shauen Hercules.
1674. Govt. Tongue, v. § 2. 49. Sometimes a man invents a perfect falsity of another; sometime he that do’s not invent it, yet reports it.
1680. R. L’Estrange, Tully’s Offices (1681), 129. For sometimes Bodily Goods fall in Competition with the Goods of Fortune: Sometime Outward Goods with Those of the Body: and sometime again [etc.].
c. With different correlatives.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 7433 (Trin.). Oþerwhile wiþ harpe, sumtyme with song.
1526–41. [see OTHERWHILES 2].
1586. [see OTHERWHILE 2].
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., II. v. 9. Sometime, the Flood preuailes; and than the Winde.
a. 1654. Gataker, Parker, in Fuller, Abel Rediv. (1867), II. 18. He forbare not frequently to preach,… sometime in his own cathedral church, and at other times in the towns and villages abroad.
1720. [see OTHERWHILE 2].
2. † a. At a certain time, on a particular occasion, in the past; once. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8958. Some time as þis gode mold in to halle com.
1375. in Horstmann, Altengl. Leg. (1878), 130/2. Y trowe wel Þow desyre to ete sum del Of þe frut of paradys Þat þow of ete som tyme.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 195. Well sholdiste thou remenber the þat Sum tym the Quen of Inde the send fair yeftis.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Avian, iv. This fable of an asse whiche somtyme fond the skynne of a lyon.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 3 b. As it was somtyme shewed to Noe in the tyme of the vniuersal flode.
1581. Pettie, trans. Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., III. (1586), 147 b. Like as the Crauish sometime did. Who [etc.].
1620. Frier Rush, 1. There was sometime beyond the Sea edified and founded a certaine house.
1653. Baxter, Saints’ Rest, III. vi. (1662), 387. Let the power speak, which sometime said, Lazarus, arise!
1661. Ussher, Power of Princes, I. (1683), 50. The first Christian Emperour Constantine used this speech sometime unto his Bishops.
† b. At one time; in former times, formerly. Obs.
The quotations under (b) illustrate the usage with the substantive verb.
(a) c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 6905. Whylom [v.r. som tyme] Bretons landes wonnen;… Now ar þey nought so mykel of myght.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. iii. (Skeat), l. 136. Somtyme, er it were white, it might have be nat white.
14[?]. Guy Warw., 4655. Some tyme þou were of grete honowre.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1885), 131. The kyng off Ffraunce myght not sumtyme dyspende off his demaynes … so mich as myght tho the kynge off England.
1535. Coverdale, Wisd. v. 3. These are they, whom we somtyme had in derision, & iested vpon.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 193. Farley … belonged sometime to the Monks of Christs church in Canterburie.
1600. J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, II. 66. It was sometime gouerned by a certaine tyrant.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 25 July 1678. A worthy … gentleman, with whom my son was sometime bred in Arundel House.
1786–1805. Tooke, Purley (1829), I. 404. The whole verb Dure was some time used commonly in our language.
(b) a. 1400. Maundev. (1839), viii. 98. Also fro Bethanye to Jerico, was somtyme a litylle Cytee.
c. 1440. Generydes, 2. Of Inde Somtyme ther was a nobyll kyng.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Alfonce, viii. Somtyme was a kynge which hadde a fabulatour.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Sam. xx. 18. The comon sayenge was somtyme: Who so wyll axe, let him axe at Abel.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 283. Where was sometime an auncient Church erected by the Romanes.
† c. In descriptive clauses introduced by that.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 129. Seleucus, þat was somtyme plegge and prisoner at Rome.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1729. Our Cite for sothe, þat sum tyme was here, [þai] Brent.
1445. trans. Claudian, in Anglia, XXVIII. 269. Be thyn excytyng craftys lefte þat som tyme were wele knowe.
d. In similar use with omission or ellipse of relative and verb. Now arch.
a. 1325. MS. Rawl. B. 520, lf. 31 b. Noȝt with stondinde þe statut sume time at Westmunestre … i made.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 13563 (Fairf.). Þen ansquared he sum time blinde.
1423. Cal. Letter-bk. ‘I’ (1909), 288. Sir Edward, sumtyme Kyng of Ynglond.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 16. To Raffe Otle sumtyme my man.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 210 b. Asia sometyme the rychest & welthiest countree of the worlde, had been afore his tyme spoyled by Alexander.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXVIII. viii. 987. To have mercie and pitie of their nation sometime linked in amitie unto them.
1633. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 103. The visage of our Nazarites, sometime whiter than snow, is now become blacker than a coal.
1771. Antiq. Sarisb., 109. His body lies … under a large marble stone, sometime inlaid with brass.
1794. Bloomfield, Rep., 14. A Negro Woman, sometime the Property of H., became free.
1852. Gentl. Mag., Jan., 9. John Jewel, sometime Bishop of Salisbury.
† e. With of or genitive, denoting former ownership or proprietary rights. Obs.
1423. Coventry Leet Bk., 52. A house with gardyne sumtyme off John Askemare.
1486. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 1. The tenement sumtyme Rauf a Beryes.
1556. Chron. Grey Friars (Camden), 48. The church sumtyme the Gray freeres.
f. Preceded by a pronoun or article. Passing into adj.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, vi. 27. Alle the grete tresours … of hir sayd somtyme husbonde sichee.
c. 1585. Montgomerie, Sonn., iv. 9. Hou … that som tym peirles place … in furious flammis did burne.
1621. Bp. Mountagu, Diatribæ, 144. Agreeing with Tremellius, his sometime Colleague.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 254. I wonder now of my sometime boldness to chide and quarrel Christ.
1756. Connoisseur, No. 118, ¶ 7. The sometime Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 235. Our sometime constable, the tipsiest … of men, is dead.
1889. Swinburne, Study B. Jonson, 103. A sometime student of the secular [poet].
† 3. At or in sometime, = 2 b. Obs.
Cf. examples with some time under SOME a.1 2 b (a).
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 765. Fone men may now fourty yhere pas, And foner fifty als in somtym was.
1552. Elyot, Aliquoties, at sometime.
1579. W. Fulke, Conf. Sanders, 541. At somtime, no citie in Italie was so notable as Rome.
4. At some future time; on a future occasion. Also in phr. sometime or other.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 385. For possible is,… That by som cas, syn fortune is chaungeable, Thow maist to thy desir som tyme atteyne. Ibid., Man of Law’s T., 12. Parfay, seistow, somtyme he rekene shal.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xv. 42. Suppois the servand be lang vnquit, The lord sumtyme rewaird will it.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 159. I must nedes somtyme tel you of myne owne experience.
a. 1654. Gataker, Whitgift, in Fuller, Abel Rediv. (1867), II. 199. His lectures … are said to remain yet under hope of seeing sometime further light.
1741. Berkeley, Lett., Wks. 1871, IV. 268. You may sometime or other come to Bath.
1839–52. Bailey, Festus, 136. Thou too and all the stars … Shall sometime range in bliss the spirit-pasturing skies.
1879. Howells, L. Aroostook, xi. 127. ‘Will you tell me?’ ‘Yes, some time.’
b. In attrib. use, with preceding pron. or article.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 157. The meanes which he had appointed for their sometime happinesse to come.
1787. Anna Seward, Lett. (1811), I. 386. Materials whose sometime publication I meditate. Ibid. (1805), VI. 241. The sometime resurrection of the body.
5. At some indefinite or indeterminate point of time; at some time or other.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., II. i. 253. There sleepes Tytania, sometime of the night, Lul’d in these flowers, with dances and delight.
[1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), I. 321/1. Some time in May, the rows must be evened.]
1818. Cobbett, Polit. Reg., XXXIII. 432. This letter was sent off sometime in October.
1832. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, III. 279. It was sometime in the 11th century.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 685. Where indeed The roof so lowly but that beam of Heaven Dawn’d sometime thro’ the doorway?
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 171. Poor Grant made the light, sometime after nightfall.
† b. Just now; recently. Obs.
1779. Sheridan, St. Patrick’s Day, II. ii. I was sometime taken with a sudden giddiness, and Humphrey … ran to my assistance.
6. a. With since, = some time ago. rare.
The use of the compound in place of the two separate words (some time) is evidently due to association with sense 5.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 13 April 1652. The letter which sometime since I sent to Deane Cosin’s proselyted son.
1792. Charlotte Smith, Desmond, III. 244. The subject was sometime since exhausted between us.
1897. Daily News, 13 Sept., 7/1. A sometime since completed [railway] line.
b. For some time. rare–1.
1801. Lusignan, IV. 177. She answered that she was very well, and had slept better than she had done sometime.
