[Vocabulary] "By which time" meaning

[binha10k12]

What does phrase "by which time" in the sentence "She finally called a solicitor, by which time the hotel had been closed down" mean?

I have only learnt that phrases "in which, at which, on which" have the same meaning with "when" and "where" in many cases in relative clause like this: Christmas day, on which almost everyone is happy, falls on December 24th.

I don't know how to use other phrases like "by which time" in relatice clause and I don't understand what they mean. Please tell me how to use a preposition together with "which" in detail.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'Which time' refers to the time she called a solicitor.
'By' means 'before or not later than a particular time' according to http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/by_1

 

[Rover_KE]

Consider the following examples of joining two sentences into one:

Here comes the bus. I go to town on it. Here comes the bus on which I go to town.

This is the bed. I sleep in it. This is the bed in which I sleep.

Can you see that pond? I fell into it. That is the pond into which I fell.

I have a hoop. My dog likes to jump through it. I have a hoop through which my dog likes to jump.

There's a bridge in the city. The homeless sleep under it. There's a bridge in the city under which the homeless sleep.

Do you get the idea?

 

[binha10k12]

I still don't understand. Could you clarify the meaning of the sentence "She finally called a solicitor, by which time the hotel had been closed down" ?

 

[Matthew Wai]

She finally called a solicitor, by which time the hotel had been closed down.
She finally called a solicitor. By that time, the hotel had been closed down.
She finally called a solicitor. Before that, the hotel had been closed down.
The hotel had been closed down before she finally called a solicitor.

 

[emsr2d2]

binha10k12, there is no need to write a new post to indicate that you understand or to thank someone. Click on the "Like" and/or "Thank" button in the bottom left-hand corner of any post you find helpful. It saves time and space.