[Grammar] Among VS Amongst

[nesyan]

What's the difference between among and amongst ?
would you give me some examples for them, please ?

Thank you in advance

 

[SoothingDave]

"Amongst" is the archaic form. Use "among."

 

[Tdol]

Amongst is used in BrE by some speakers, sometimes when trying to sound a bit posh. I use among.

 

[SoothingDave]

Interesting. I've only heard it used in the Hail Mary. "Blessed art thou amongst women."

 

[Rover_KE]

I've only ever heard "Blessed art thou among women."

Nesyan, enter your thread title into the Search box at the top of the page for links to many other discussions of this topic.

Rover

 

[SoothingDave]

Which shows that "amongst" falls out of favor even when it is among other "old" words, like thou and thy.

 

[BobK]

Interesting. I've only heard it used in the Hail Mary. "Blessed art thou amongst women."

When I was an altar boy (a while ago) the Father Gregory told us that there was nothing in the Hail Mary about 'a monk swimming'. ;-)

b

 

[5jj]

When I was an altar boy (a while ago) the Father Gregory told us that there was nothing in the Hail Mary about 'a monk swimming'. ;-)

b

Did you ever sing that well-known hymn Gladly, the cross-eyed bear?

 

[nesyan]

Thank you guys for your nice posts
but I got a bit confused
because of telling that amongst is an old form of among which means among is a newer form
and some who says that is used in British English

Do American use amongst in conversational speaking and writing ?
Is amongst used to use only in the old literature ?

 

[SoothingDave]

Let me be clearer. In America "amongst" is not used. Except maybe in Church, in prayers that consciously use "old" language, like "thy" and "thou."

 

[TheParser]

Amongst is used in BrE by some speakers, sometimes when trying to sound a bit posh. I use among.

When Her Majesty speaks to her subjects in the United Kingdom, Canada, and

Australia, does she use "amongst" or "among"?


Thank you.

 

[birdeen's call]

I think I've heard "amongst" a couple of times on American television. There must have been a smirk on the speaker's face, surely, but I do not remember that.