adv. Now dial. or arch. Forms: 3 sumehwules, 6 sumwhiles, somwhyles, somwhiles, somewhyles, 6–7, 9 somewhiles. [f. as prec. with genitive or plural -s. Cf. WFlem. somwijls, Du. somwijlen.]
† 1. At some former time; formerly. Obs.–1
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 276. Bihold, holie men þet weren sumehwules, hwu heo uesten, & hwu heo wakeden.
2. On some occasion(s); sometimes.
Freq. in the latter half of the 16th c.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, 150 b. The very Gods them selves which sell their pardone so good chepe or some whiles geve them frely for glory sake.
1559. Mirr. Mag. (1563), A iij. We let hang the true man somwhyles to saue a thefe.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, x. (1596), 144. The profession of which they haue made choice (though somwhiles vnworthy).
1626. W. Fenner, Hidden Manna (1652), Ed. Ded. B iij. For the Understanding and Will, are somewhiles like Simeon and Levi.
1680. R. L’Estrange, Tully’s Offices (1681), 131. Without need some whiles of any other Company.
c. 1863. S. S. Jones, Northumbld., etc. 129. There was yen o’ them it [= that] somewhiles did nae make things sae smooth as they might have been.
1890. D. G. Mitchell, English Lands, II. iii. 107. Among other writers … who went somewhiles to these suppers … was James Howell.
1901. A. J. Davies, Athirt Downs, II. iv. 72. Takes a deal of following somewhiles, that it do. Ibid., vi. 86. Queers me somewhiles … that men should be afeard to trust theirselves in them thur paths.
b. With correlatives, esp. somewhiles…, somewhiles, = SOMETIMES 1 b.
(a) 1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, c vj b. Britayne was not alwayes … vnder one Kyng…, but was gouerned somwhiles by one, and somwhiles by mo.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], trans. Hist. Ivstine, IV. 21. The wind … sendeth foorth in many places, some-whiles flashes of fyre, other some-whiles againe most vnsauory and dangerous vapors.
1612. Davies, Why Ireland, etc. (1747), 16. Some-whiles one preuailing, some-while the other.
(b) a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., I. i. (Arb.), 11. Sometime Lewis Loytrer biddeth me come neere, Somewhyles Watkin Waster maketh vs good cheere.
1560. Whitehorne, Arte Warre, 42 b. Somewhiles thei fought with the enemies horses, an other while, thei rescued the fotmen.
1565. Allen, Defence Purg., xv. 272 b. One while by the praysies of the doctors and antiquitye, and sumwhiles by thabasing of theime ageine.
† 3. At some time before. Obs.–1
1657. W. Rand, trans. Gassendi’s Life Peiresc, II. 254. Having some whiles before procured a first and second Edition of his Divine Poems.
