Till prep., conj., adv. World English Historical Dictionary

Till prep., conj., adv. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1916, rev. 2022. Till prep., conj., adv. Forms: 1, 3–7 til, 4–5 tille, tylle, 4–6 tyl, tyll; 3 (Orm.), 4– till (in 18th c. often printed ’till as if short for UNTIL). Also 4 tel, 4–5 tell, 5 telle; 5 (9 dial.) tul, 6 (8 dial.) tull; 5 thyll(e. [ONorthumb. til, a. ON. til prep. with genitive (e.g., til Islands, to Iceland, til dauða-dags to the day of death); mod. Icel., Færo., Norw., Da. til, Sw. till; also OFris. til prep. with dative. Prob. originally a sb. *til = OE. till fixed point, station, OHG., MHG. zil, Ger. ziel neut. end, limit, point aimed at, goal, late MLG. tel, til aim, (fixed) point of time; cf. ON. aldrtili end of life, death; hence the const. with genitive: prop. ‘with the limit or goal of (the place or time named).’ In ON. it filled the place of the WGer. prep. tô, ti, te, Ger. zu, zi, ze, OE. tó, TO. Characteristically northern in reference to place or purpose (though in ME. occasionally midl. or south.); in reference to time, general Eng. from c. 1300, though now often superseded by the compound UNTIL. To the same root belong OE. til adj. ‘to the purpose, serviceable, good,’ and OE. tilian, -tillan, TILL v.1, v.2]

1   A.  prep. I. Local and dative. Now only n. dial. and Sc., where normally used instead of to before a vowel or h.

2   1.  = TO prep. a. In the ordinary local sense of to.

3 a. 800.  Inscription, Ruthwell Cross, Dumfries, in O. E. T., 126. Hweþræ þer fusæ fearran kwomu æþþilæ til anum.

4 c. 1200.  Ormin, Ded. 170. He … stah þa siþþenn upp till heffne.

5 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 10832 (Cott.). Ar he his wijf til hus wald bring.

6 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 3. Þe fled out of Wales away tille Ireland.

7 c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 445. Suche gone prively til helle.

8 c. 1386.  Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 2106. They goon Hoom til Atthenes.

9 c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., xv. 113. Tyll egyp weynd shall we.

10 1489.  Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xiii. 114. He dyde goo from one place tyl another.

11 1582–8.  Life James VI. (1804), 256. The Earle of Atholl sent aduertisement heirof till Argyll.

12 a. 1618.  J. Davies, Eglogues, Poems (1772), 114. Whan we wenden till another place.

13 1807.  J. Stagg, Poems, 36. As King Solomon hath said, The place I’ll not turn tilt [= to it].

14 1816.  Scott, Antiq., ix. Rab … bang’d out o’ bed, and till some of his readiest claes.

15   b.  As far as; so as to reach. Cf. also C. 3.

16 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, X. 682. Swedis … War till the hyltis all bludy.

17 c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), ix. 107. The forpartie of the heed til vnder the chyn is at Rome.

18 1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 80/2. Nabugodonosor … sente vnto all Regyons aboute … tyl the mountes of ethyope.

19 1535.  Coverdale, Judg. xx. 43. They … folowed vpon them … and trode them downe tyll afore Gibea.

20 1561.  Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 38. That it maye reache … from the nauell tyll the priuy membres.

21 1828.  Buchan, Ballads, I. 2. He read it till an end.

22   2.  In senses of to derived from the local. a. where the object is not a point in space. Now Sc.

23   c. 1200.  Ormin, Ded. 18. Þu þohhtesst tatt itt mihhte wel Till mikell frame turrnenn.

24 a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, xxiv. 2. Ill suggestions to till me til syn.

25 c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), Pref. 2. What lufe he had til his sugets. Ibid., iv. 12. Changed … fra a faire damysell til a dragoun.

26 1509.  Bp. Fisher, Funeral Serm. C’tess Richmond, Wks. (E.E.T.S.), I. 294. She restrayned her appetyte tyl one mele & tyl one fysshe on the day.

27 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VI. Prol. 64. Till vertu thaim to brod.

28 1582–8.  Life Jas. VI. (1804), 260. He was putt till extreme tortor.

29 1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., IV. iii. § 40. He was … restored till his liberty and archbishoprick.

30 1826.  J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. (1855), I. 125. I venerate the adherence till’t.

31 1858.  Ramsay, Remin., v. (1870), 104. ‘They’re what we must all come till.’

32   † b.  Conformably to, in accordance with, after. Obs. rare.

33 c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 90. Ilk man … God made til his awen lyknesse.

34 c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), Pref. 2. How dere he boght man þat he had made til his awen liknes.

35 c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn, xix. 59. He was not armed tyl his plesure.

36   † c.  To or for the purpose of, in order to be; to become, as. Obs.

37 a. 1352.  Minot, Poems, xi. 40. Þat he may at his ending haue heuin till his mede.

38 a. 1450.  Le Morte Arth., 637. The feyrest lady … Tille his lemman chosen hath he.

39 c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn, xxv. 93. I wolde haue gyuen you tyl his wyff.

40   3.  Expressing the indirect object or dative relation. After verbs of giving, telling, comparing, hearkening, pertaining, addition, affecting action; adjs. and sbs. of likeness, agreeableness, belonging, relationship, etc. Now n. dial. and Sc.

41 c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 31. Ða cueð til him ðe hælend.

42 c. 1200.  Ormin, 803. He seȝȝde þuss till himm.

43 13[?].  Cursor M., 13632 (Cott. & Fairf.). Hald þe til [Gött. & Trin. to] him.

44 c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1833. Of twa [reasons] byfore I spake, Now wil I other twa til þam take.

45 1357.  Lay Folks Catech., 29 (MS. T.). Of the lawe and þe lare þat langes till halikirke. Ibid., 89. Iesu crist … Is sothefastly god euen til [= equal to] his fadir.

46 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 565. Þe Endentur till him gaf he. Ibid., XIII. 511. Till hym neir syb wes he.

47 c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), Pref. 2. Knawen openly til all men. Ibid., iii. 9. Þai schuld be obedient til him.

48 c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., XVIII. 239. Whi dos thou tyll vs thus?

49 1521.  Fisher, Serm. agst. Luther, i. Wks. (E.E.T.S.), I. 317. How that shadowe & this thynge agreeth … one tyll another.

50 1724.  Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 21. Wad ye compare ye’r sell to me, A Docken till a tansie.

51 1790.  Mrs. Wheeler, Westmld. Dial. (1821), 59. He hes dun tull em oa [= all] alike.

52 1815.  Scott, Guy M., xv. The death of the grey mare … was naething till’t. Ibid. (1818), Hrt. Midl., xviii. ‘Hear till her,’ said Madge.

53   † 4.  In prec. senses, often placed after its object, for metrical reasons. Obs.

54 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 3712 (Cott.). And sithen his sun he cald him till.

55 c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2350. I wold wend hem tille wiþ-oute ani stint.

56 c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 5264. Þus he spak him tille.

57 c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 1412. Alle his askyng þey grauntede hym tylle.

58 a. 1562.  G. Cavendish, Poems (1825), II. 19. I espied certeyn persons comyng me tyll.

59   II.  Of time.

60   5.  Onward to (a specified time); up to the time of (an event); during the whole time before; until. (Denoting continuance up to a particular time, and usually implying cessation or change at that time: cf. B. 1.)

61 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 27. Fro Eneas till Brutus tyme.

62 c. 1375.  Cursor M., 498 (Fairf.). Sa þai sal tille [Cott., Gött. to] domes day.

63 c. 1400.  Sir Perc., 25. Fro thethyne tille his lyves ende.

64 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 232 b. He kepte all these thinges secret, tyll his retorne.

65 1588, 1827.  [see MORN 2 b].

66 1591.  Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. ii. 127. Fight till the last gaspe.

67 1611.  Bible, Exod. xvi. 19. Let no man leaue of it till the morning.

68 1632.  Le Grys, trans. Velleius Paterc., Ded. 7. From the foundation of the city till the ruine of the Macedonian kingdome.

69 1824.  Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxviii. She doubted if the woman would live till morning.

70   b.  After a negative, denoting the continuance of the negative condition up to the time indicated (and implying its cessation then); thus nearly equivalent to before. Cf. B. 1 b.

71 1590.  Shaks., Com. Err., II. ii. 164. I neuer saw her till this time.

72 1649.  Heylin, Relat. & Observ., II. 155. To give no account for it till Doomes-day in the afternoone.

73 1671.  Lady Mary Bertie, in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 22. The grand ballett is not to be danced till Shrove-Munday.

74 1719.  De Foe, Crusoe (1790), I. 28. [He] begged of me not to go on shore till day.

75 1861.  M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 41. It was not till the fourteenth century that their guild rose into wealth and importance.

76 1887.  Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Venice, II. ii. 177. The news … did not reach him till long after the event.

77   c.  Followed by an adverb (or adv. phr.) of time. Cf. NOW 13, THEN 7.

78 c. 1380.  Wyclif, Last Age Church, 30. Fro Crist til now, þrittene hundrid ȝeer and sixe and fyfty.

79 a. 1518.  Skelton, Magnyf., 319. Fare you well tyll sone.

80 1535.  Coverdale, Prov. xxix. 11. A foole poureth out his sprete alltogether, but a wyse man kepeth it in till afterwarde.

81 1598.  Shaks., Merry W., V. i. 28. I knew not what ’twas to be beaten, till lately.

82 1667.  Milton, P. L., II. 744. I know thee not, nor ever saw till now Sight more detestable.

83 1746.  Francis, trans. Horace, Epist., I. vii. 107. ’Till then farewel.

84 1844.  Kinglake, Eöthen, viii. It was not till after midnight that my visit … came to an end.

85 Mod.  I stayed till after ten o’clock.

86   III.  To with the infinitive. Now only Sc.

87   6.  a. as prep. introducing the infinitive of purpose.

88   Not in Norse. closely akin to 2 c; þare sorrow til amese = to or with the aim of, or for the purpose of, amesing their sorrow, to the mitigation of their sorrow.

89 13[?].  Cursor M., 5330 (Cott.). He praid þe god men þat þar wer To lith a quil his word til her.

90 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxi. (Clement), 519. Thane, þare gret sorow til ames, Petyre þame tald how It was Hapnyt.

91 c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., IX. xxv. 2838. Tyll ete ore drink, syng ore dance.

92 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VIII. vii. 31. Sen Nereus douchtir, Thetis, mycht … Induce the till enarme hir son Achill.

93 1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), III. 323. For till reskew Thair libertie … Beseikand him to tak auctoritie In that mater and afald ay till be.

94 1599.  A. Hume, Epist. to G. Moncrieff, 164. Till execute their office man be hyred.

95   b.  as sign of the simple infinitive; esp. after for.

96   Now chiefly used before a vowel or h.

97 c. 1375.  Cursor M., 12989 (Fairf.). For tille [v.r. to] be myne vnderloute.

98 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 98. Trawayllyt for to wyn senyhory, And throw hys mycht till occupy Landis.

99 1424.  Coldstream Chartul. (1879), 42. Be it mad kend … me Jon of Swynton till haue fulli grantit to ye priores [etc.].

100 c. 1485.  Digby Myst. (1882), IV. 1252. Now aught I sore till irke!

101 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VI. xv. 10. For til excers the art of geometrye.

102 1816.  Scott, Antiq., xxv. An ye had wussed till hae been present.

103 c. 1880.  Lyttle, Paddy McQuillan, 85 (E.D.D.). Get Mickey Mooney till gie me a lift wi’ them.

104   B.  conj. (orig. the prep. governing the demonstrative pron. that, in apposition with the following clause.) Cf. UNTIL, similarly used.

105   (From the earliest ME. times both till that (see THAT conj. 1 c) and the simple till occur; supplanting OE. óþ þæt, early ME. oþat, a þat (see O prep.3, A prep.3), also OE. oþ þe and the simple óþ. Till that represented ON. til þess (MSw. til þes (at), til þet, Sw. til dess at.)

106   1.  To the time that; up to (the point) when; until. (Denoting the continuance of the action or state expressed by the principal clause up to the time expressed by the dependent clause, and usually implying that at that time such action or state ceases and a different or opposite one begins.)

107   Formerly often (and still arch.) with dependent clause in subjunctive when expressing supposition, contingency, or expectation (in ME. sometimes even when expressing fact); so also in subordinate senses below.

108 1154.  O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137. Þar he nam þe biscop … &… hise neues & dide ælle in prisun til hi iafen up here castles.

109 c. 1200.  Ormin, 126. Swa þeȝȝ leddenn heore lif Till þatt teȝȝ wærenn alde. Ibid., 9147. Fra þatt he wass full litell Till þatt he waxenn wass.

110 a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 720. Þeos meiden … abad baldeliche aðet me [v.r. til þet men] come & fatte hire.

111 c. 1320.  Cast. Love, 44. To wonen and welden to such ende, Til þat he scholde to heuene wende.

112 13[?].  Cursor M., 8421 (Gött.). Þu sett him to fostering, Tille he be lerid himself to lede.

113 1420–30.  Prymer (E.E.T.S.), 64. Allo þe daies in whiche y trauele now, y abide til my chaungyng come.

114 1526.  Tindale, Luke xv. 8. What woman … doth not … seke diligently, till she finde it?

115 1560.  Ingelend, Disob. Child (Percy Soc.), 22. I thought it surely a whole hundred yere, Tyll in this place I sawe you here.

116 1588.  Shaks., L. L. L., I. ii. 131. Forbeare till this company be past. Ibid. (1610), Temp., I. ii. 465. I will resist such entertainment, till Mine enemy ha’s more pow’r.

117 1611.  Bible, Dan. ii. 34. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands.

118 1625.  Massinger, New Way, III. iii. She … sits on thorns, till she be private with him.

119 1707.  E. Chamberlayne, Pres. St. Eng., II. xv. (ed. 22), 194. They … forfeited their Places if they did marry, till by Act of Parliament … they were allowed to take Wives.

120 1796.  Hist. Ned Evans, II. 213. I shall count the hours till I return.

121 1833.  Ht. Martineau, Three Ages, iii. 89. To be left at the Blue Lion till called for.

122 1850.  Tennyson, In Mem., xii. 8. Silence, till I be silent too.

123   b.  With negative (expressed or implied) in the principal clause, and the dependent clause with till denoting the continuance of the negative condition up to the specified time, and usually (as in 1) implying its cessation or reversal (i.e., the commencement of the opposite or positive condition) at that time.

124   Here before can be substituted for till, but is not strictly synonymous with it, since in that case the negative qualifies the whole statement including the dependent clause. This may also be the case with till, e.g., ‘You need not wait till I come back’ (sense 1); cf. ‘You must not go till I come back’ (1 b). Hence some sentences of this form are ambiguous; but usually the context or circumstances make it clear which is meant.

125 c. 1220.  Bestiary, 19. Ne stireð he nout of slepe Til ðe sunne haueð sinen ðries him abuten.

126 13[?].  Seuyn Sag. (W.), 1276. For thef of steling wil nowt blinne Til he honge bi the chinne.

127 c. 1386.  Chaucer, Prol., 21. Til we be roten, can we nat be rype.

128 1463.  Bury Wills (Camden), 27. This mony not to be delyuerid … tyl the messe of Requiem be endyd.

129 1526.  Tindale, John xiii. 38. The cocke shall nott crowe, till thou have [1611 hast] denyed me thryse.

130 1648.  Herrick, Hesper., Glorie. Seldome comes Glorie till a man be dead.

131 1676.  Lister, in Ray’s Corr. (1848), 125. I shall resolve upon nothing till I see you.

132 1766.  Goldsm., Vic. W., xviii. Man little knows what calamities are beyond his patience to bear, till he tries them.

133 1780.  Mirror, No. 104, ¶ 8. At length we set out … but not till repeated instructions were given [etc.].

134 a. 1814.  Spaniards, IV. i., in New Brit. Theatre, III. 239. Nor will the flaming sword of war … Be sheath’d again till that the Moorish pride Be humbled.

135 1832.  Ht. Martineau, Demerara, i. 15. We shall never prosper … till the system is wholly changed.

136 1864.  Lever, Men & Women, etc., Ser. I. 91. ‘Never imagine,’ said a wise prelate, ‘that you will root Popery out of England till you destroy Oxford.’

137   c.  Formerly, and still dial. and in U.S., used after a negative principal clause, where before (or when) is now substituted in Standard English.

138 c. 1420.  ? Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1130. No man cowde hym let tyll he came there.

139 1559.  Mirr. Mag., Edw. IV., iii. I could not be ware tyl I was begiled.

140 1632.  Lithgow, Trav., V. 231. Scarcely were wee well aduanced in our way, till wee were beset with more then three hundred Arabs.

141 1725.  De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 79. I had not been many hours on board, till I was surprised with the firing of three muskets.

142 1756.  Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Cl.), 186. I was not long set till Margaret came to see me.

143   d.  Depending on a principal clause containing an expression of long duration of time or delay before the act or state expressed by the dependent clause begins or takes effect. Now dial.

144 c. 1330.  Assump. Virg. (B. M. MS.), 121. Alle him þenkeþ swiþe longe Til þou comest hem amonge.

145 1450.  Marg. Paston, in P. Lett., I. 178. I thynk ryth longe tyll I haue some god tydyngys fro yow.

146 c. 1530.  Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., 445. I shal think tyll that season be come as long or longer than ye shal do. Ibid. (a. 1533), Gold. Bk. M. Aurel., R iv b. The mayden that tarieth long tyll she be maried.

147 1590.  Marlowe, Edw. II., II. i. 82. Come, leade the way, I long till I am there.

148 1602.  Shaks., Ham., IV. vii. 182. But long it could not be, Till that her garments … Pul’d the poore wretch … To muddy death.

149 1640.  trans. Verdere’s Rom. of Rom., III. iv. 13. He … thought it long till he was in the Citie.

150 1825.  Carlyle, Schiller, III. (1845), 189. It was not long till … he set about turning this new knowledge to account.

151 1866.  Howells, Venet. Life (1880), 122. So at first she seemed, and it was long till we doubted her perfection.

152   e.  Indicating the ultimate result or outcome of a continued action expressed by the principal clause: So long or so far that; so that at length.

153 c. 1220.  Bestiary, 65. Ðer-ouer he fleȝeð, and up he teð, Til ðat he ðe heuene seð.

154 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 10991 (Cott.). Quen þai had beden til þai war irk.

155 1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 96. And þanne to sitten and soupen til slepe hem assaille.

156 c. 1430.  Chev. Assigne, 96. He wente þorow a foreste … Thylle he come to a watur.

157 1508.  Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 239. Thay fyrit gunnis … Till that the reke raise to the firmament.

158 1610.  Shaks., Temp., I. i. 8. Blow till thou burst thy winde.

159 1766.  Goldsm., Vic. W., xii. He … stands out and higgles, and … tires them till he gets a bargain.

160 1895.  Mrs. H. Ward, Bessie Costrell, ii. 31. Bessie ran till she was out of breath.

161   † f.  After so long, so far, etc., indicating ultimate result. Obs. (Now expressed by that, or by till with omission of so long, etc., as in e.) (Cf. MSw. swa lange til þes; Ger. so lang bis.)

162 c. 1386.  Chaucer, Sompn. T., 58. So longe he wente hous by hous, til he Cam til an hous ther he was wont to be Refresshed.

163 1470–85.  Malory, Arthur, XVII. xxiii. 724. He rode so fast tyl he came to Camelot.

164 1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. ii. 12. So long they traveiled … Till that at last they to a Castle came.

165 1593.  Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 362. [He] fought so long, till that his thighes with Darts Were almost like a sharpe-quill’d Porpentine.

166 1599.  A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 44/1. Vse it as long till it return noe more.

167 1643.  Trapp, Comm. Gen. xxxii. 26. The importunate widow teacheth us, to press God so far, till we put him to the blush.

168 a. 1738.  J. Skinner, Christmas Ba’ing, xiii. Poems (1809), 45. Leitch … gae ’im sic a kick, Till they a’ thought him slain.

169 [1800.  Coleridge, Piccolom., IV. v. And till we are indemnified, so long Stays Prague in pledge.]

170   † 2.  During the time that; so long as; while.

171 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 18. His childre he wild auance tille he o lyue were.

172 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, Prol. 82. Til saule & body togydir ves. Ibid., 107. Til þat he ves vith þaim in lyfe.

173 1558.  Bp. Watson, Sev. Sacram., xvi. 102. Let vs … make haste to amende our lyues tyll we haue tyme.

174 1604.  T. Wright, Passions (1620), 14. To prosecute pleasures … enjoy the roses til they flourish.

175   † C.  adv. = To adv. Obs. rare.

176   1.  In conjunction with fra (= fro): see FRO adv., and cf. TO AND FRO.

177 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 11937. Þat water moght rin fra and till, Vte of þe flum al atte will.

178 13[?].  Evang. Nicod., 195, in Herrig’s Archiv, LIII. 395. Sir Pilates wife … Till hir lord þus gan say Deme noght Ihesu tyll ne fra.

179 c. 1386.  Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 119. How that the hopur wagges til and fra.

180   2.  = to prep. (see A. 1) with ellipsis of sb.

181 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 107. Þe gode erle of Aniowe, of Mald herd he say Fulle richely to trowe tille tok his way.

182 c. 1375.  Cursor M., 14523 (Fairf.). & þer-to gode couenande þar hiȝt, & iche an tille þaire trauþis pliȝt.

183   3.  Used to qualify to, into, unto. In Wyclif rendering L. usque (ad, in), even, as far as, on (to).

184 1382.  Wyclif, Acts xxiii. 1. I with al good conscience haue lyued bifore God, til into [Vulg. usque in] this dai. Ibid., xxviii. 24. Fro the moru til to euentijde. Ibid. (1388), Jer. li. 9. The doom therof cam til to [Vulg. usque ad, 1382 vnto] heuenes.

185 c. 1435.  Torr. Portugal, 992. That thys fynd hym yeld A-non to me tylle [rhyme wylle].

186 14[?].  in Hist. Coll. Citizen London (Camden), 90. The sayde Adam was mayre tylle unto the xxj day of Marche.

187 1577.  Knewstub, Confut. (1579), 70 b. Euen so remember the suffering of Christ … till vnto his comming.

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