prep. and adv. Forms: 1 betwihs, betweohs, -tweox, -twiux, -twyx, -twux, -tux, (-twuxt, -twyxt), 3 bitwex, 3–5 bitwix, (4 bituex, -tuix, -tuixs, -þwex, bytwyste, -tuixte), 4–5 betwex, 4–7 betwix, -tuix, tuyx, -twyx, 5 bituxst, bytwex, by-twyxte, 6 betwyxte, -twixte, (8 Sc. betwisht, -tweesht), 5– betwixt, 7– ’twixt. [mod.Eng. betwixt, ME. betwix:—OE. betweohs, -tweox, -twux, -twyx, -tux: prob. shortened from the dative form *be-tweoxum, -tweox(a)n; see the prec. (Cf. the shortened wolc from wolcen, also history of BITWIH.) It is however also possible that be-tweox goes back through *tweohsu to *twiscu acc. pl. neuter. Much more common in OE. than the preceding. In ME. betwix seems to have been more northern, betwixen, betwixe, more southern; in the 15th c. the loss of the final syllable of the latter finally levelled both as betwix. Already in OE., there appeared occasional instances of betwuxt, -twyxt, with a -t, either phonetic or analogical, but having no significance. This was also rare in ME., but after 1500 became the regular form, except in the north, which retained betwix, in 18th c. Sc. betwish, betweesh; cf. G. zwischen. (ME. had occasionally bitwixte, prob. a confusion between bitwixt and bitwixe.) There is a late shortened form ’twixt.]
A. prep.
1. = BETWEEN, in the various senses of that word. Now somewhat arch. in literary Eng. and chiefly poetical. Still in colloquial use in some dialects.
a. of local position. lit. and fig.
931. Chart. Æðelstan, in Cod. Dipl., v. 207. Andlang hærepaðes; ðonne betweox ða twéʓen weʓas þurh ðone leá.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 725. Bi-tuix þe warlau and his wijf, Adam es stad in strang strijf.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 18. Ouer alle þe londes bituex Douer & Tuede.
a. 1400. Cursor M., 14233 (Fairf.). Be-twix ierusalem & þis castel … is mylis nane bot bare xv.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 19. She ansuered hem no thinge but bituxst her tethe.
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., xix. § 14. Peynes [= pennys] beryng lyke dyuers Rowles of Spurres betwyxte the barres of the Crosse.
1632. Milton, L’Allegro, 82. A cottage chimney smokes From betwixt two aged oaks.
1660. Barrow, Euclid, I. Def. iv. A Right Line is that which lies equally betwixt its Points.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. I. 68. He could distinguish, and divide A hair ’twixt south and south-west side.
a. 1758. A. Ramsay, Poems (1844), 89. Betwisht twa’s shoulders.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., III. vii. When that strange shape drove suddenly Betwixt us and the sun.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., viii. If Mrs. B. had not thrown herself betwixt us.
b. of time.
c. 1250. Lay., 24274. Bitwix [c. 1205 bitwene] þis and domesday.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 41. Hit bifelle by-twyxte March and Maye.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 78, ¶ 10. Betwixt the Hours of Eight and Ten at Night.
1860. Hawthorne, Marb. Faun, xxxiii. A tolerable journey betwixt now and to-morrow noon.
c. of other relations.
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xxi. 25. Hi þa þohtun betwihs heom cwæþende [Lindisf. betuih, Ags. Gosp. betwux, -tweox, Hatton G. beotweoxe].
a. 1300. K. Horn, 345. Wiþ him ȝe wolden pleie Bitwex ȝou selue tweie.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2443. Be-twyx him and loth his neuow Of bestaile hade þai plente enow.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 77. Thet hol assent Bytuixte man an wyf.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., III. xix. 211. A generall werre … betwyx oure kynge and yours.
1578. Forlorne Son, iii. in Gude & Godely Ball., 31. The Father did his gude deuyde Betuix them.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 33. Betwixt them both, they haue me doen to dye.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 239. That great separation which shall be betwixt the sheepe and the goates.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 149. Betwixt threescore and fourescore leagues from the shore.
1689. Selden, Table T. (1847), 222. You must look into the Contract betwixt him and his People.
1732. Law, Serious C., i. (ed. 2), 12. Can you find any farther difference betwixt them?
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr. (1789), I. xv. 110. They have but three legs betwixt them.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xxiii. ‘Betwixt you and me, ma’am,’ returned Mr. Bumble, ‘that’s the great principle.’
1860. Hawthorne, Marb. Faun (1879), II. x. 106. The bond betwixt you.
2. In reference to more than two: in early use = AMONG.
a. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke vii. 28. Betwux wifa bearnum.
a. 1000. Nat. S. Greg. Ða ʓeseah Gregorius betwuxt ðam warum cypecnihtas ʓesette.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Ex. xxxiv. 10. Betweohs him.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter vi. 8. Bitwix my faes al elded I.
1711. Pope, Temp. Fame, 11. I stood, methought, betwixt earth, seas, and skies.
1788. J. Powell, Devises (1827), II. 759. Her legacy … equally to be divided betwixt them all.
1878. G. Macdonald, Phantastes, xii. 184. Betwixt grey stones on the side of a hill.
† 3. Betwix and, betuix and, betwixt and (prob. elliptical for betwixt this and...: cf. the similar ON. milli ok) north. dial.: between this (or that) and…, until, till. a. with till; b. with sb., or prep. phrase; c. with subord. clause. Obs.
a. a. 1300. Cursor M., 21100. He lenthid his sermon, Bituixand til his passion.
b. a. 1300. Cursor M., 8614. Sco slep bituix and dai. Ibid., 17322. And bad þam do him up … in prisun state, Bituix and efter þair sabat.
1641. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 129. In caice betwixt and that they get not a supplie. Ibid., 153. It is necessar that the haile common burdens … be prepared and in rediness … betwixt and the tyme foirsaid.
c. [a. 1300. Cursor M., 1437. All þat deid bi-tuix and þan þat iesus ras. Ibid., 11074. Al þe land þat heþen lijs, Bituixand [Gött. by-tuix and] þar þe sun it rijs. Ibid. (Gött.). 16583. Betuix and þat [Cott. til] ur lauerd crist was þedir ledd.] Ibid., 1103. Bituixand þai þe southe had sene. Ibid., 3763. Mi hert bes neuer in rest, bituixand þis Iacob be slan.
B. adv.
1. Of space: = BETWEEN 1.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxviii [ix]. 7. Laverdes steven of bitwix falland low of fire.
1611. Bible, Job xxxvi. 32. The cloud that commeth betwixt.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 516. And leave a Space betwixt.
b. fig. In an intermediate position or attitude.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. cviii. 4. To the lowest and meanest of us, and to all betwixt.
1816. Byron, Ch. Har., III. xxxvi. Extreme in all things! hadst thou been betwixt, Thy throne had still been thine, or never been.
2. Of time: = BETWEEN 3.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13521. Noght lang bi-tuix bot alson, A-noþer he did.
1685. Dryden, Thren. August., 27. With scarce a breathing space betwixt. Ibid. (1697), Virg. Past., V. 19. I writ, and sung betwixt.
3. Betwixt and between (colloq. and dial.): in an intermediate or middling position; neither one thing nor the other. Also as adj.: Middling, indifferent, so-so.
1832. Marryat, N. Forster, xliv. [He] took the lease of a house in a betwixt and between fashionable street.
1877. Besant & Rice, Son of Vulc., I. iv. 53. She’s the fool, and he’s the knave, so it’s betwix and between.
1884. Point-blank, III. xv. 226. There are very few who marry into our sort of set. We are just betwixt and between.
C. Comb. † betwixt-hands, betwixt-times (obs.), between-whiles, at intervals, now and then.
c. 1568. trans. Let. Mary Q. Scots, in H. Campbell, Love-lett. (1824), App. 24. At the leist, to dissemble so weill—and to tell hym the treuth betwix handis.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 270. Neither let him drink much nor often, but betwixt times.
