Among and Amongst are two very complicated words that sound quite similar but have different senses and usage respectively. Although both the terms mean the same the major difference between the two words.
Among vs Amongst
The main difference between among and amongst is that among is the older version and is being commonly practiced in the United States. Whereas, amongst is the young one that people of Britain tend to use and follow in their slangs. Among traces back to old English which is traditional in nature whereas the roots of Amongst are fresh and new rooting to Modern English.
It was during this period that English scholars started adding sound and tone to the language and started making adverbs.
Both
the terms are English propositions and could mean any of the following i.e.
- With the whole of or completely.
- A group of or mutually agreed to things.
- Into something or surrounded by someone.
- In the midst of things or places.
- In the class or group of people, place or things in place.
Now
I hope you all will be able to answer the following question easily;
Is it Among or Amongst?
Since
you all of learned the basic difference between Among and Amongst, now it is
time for you to learn the implications and usage of both the terms.
Comparison Table Between Among and Amongst (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Among | Amongst |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | An Among means to be situated centrally in relation to multiple things in place. | An Amongst refers to being a member of a very large group or set. |
| Location Usage | Among is used mostly in the United States and northern parts of America. | Amongst term is used mostly in Britain. |
| Common Usage | Among term can be used to most of the plural objects of the preposition in English grammar. | Amongst term can be used to either for dramatic or poetic usage of reference. |
| The era of English Times | It comes from the traditional era of the English language and has very old roots. | It belongs to the modern era of the English language and has modern roots. |
| Usage Frequency | Among is more frequently used in American English as it is very popular in the United States. | Amongst is more frequently used in Britain English as it is very popular in Britain. |
| Example of Usage | It is a popular proverb among the Indians and the Chinese. | It’s a bone disease amongst the American Women. |
What is Among?
Among
means surrounded by or in the midst of things or people. It dates back to the
very old traditional English where people used to use the term without any
thinking.
Among
is a popular preposition that acts as a bridge to connect nouns and pronouns
together.
Here are some of the usages of the term among;
1.
Surrounded by something or in the middle of something.
- I saw a few known
faces among the mob in the supermarket. - The rescue team
searched for the body among the debris of fighters.
2.
Becoming a part of a group of things or surrounding them from all sides.
- Chill, you are
among your best friends. - She has worked as
a doctor among other things. - An unhealthy
decision that has caused anger among the women of India.
3.
To different members of a group having multiple things in place.
- Raj divided his
wealth among his 3 not worthy sons. - The expenses must
be equally spread among the 5 of us, who went to the club.
Among
is mostly used as a plural noun phrase and has the same meaning as amongst.
Some
of the common examples of the same are;
- Don’t worry about Moher, he is among his friends.
- I think I finally got the videotape among the list of my other DVD collections.
What is Amongst?
Amongst is the modern English preposition and has the same meaning as that of the among i.e. bounded by or in the focus of things or folks.
It does not date back to the old traditional English where people used to use the term without any thinking.
Amongst
is a popular preposition that acts as a bridge to connect nouns and pronouns
together.
Here are some of the usages of the term among;
1.
Bounded roughly or in the middle of a somewhat different situation.
- I saw a few different
faces amongst the crowd in the hotel. - The liberate team examined
for the body amongst the remains of troops.
2.
Flattering a part of the assemblage of things.
- Calm down, you are
amongst your contacts. - She has worked as
a medical representative amongst other things. - A wise decision
that has caused distress amongst American Women.
3.
To diverse followers of a cluster with multiple things in place.
- Ahoy divided his affluence
amongst his 2 worthy daughters. - The overheads must
be equally divided amongst us, who went to the party.
Amongst
is mostly used as a singular noun phrase and has the same meaning as among.
Some of the common examples of the same are;
- Don’t worry about your son, he is amongst his friends.
- I finally got the TV serial tape amongst my other series assortment of tapes.
Main Differences Between Among and Amongst
Although
both are words are being used interchangeably by people, but there exists a lot
of difference between Among and Amongst when it comes to parts of speech and
grammar.
- Among comes back from old traditional English speaking history whereas Amongst is relatively fresh and new.
- The term Amongst is followed mostly in Britain whereas the word Among is very common in the United States.
- Among is used as a part and parcel of American English style whereas the preposition Amongst is used as Britain’s English style of language.
- Amongst is used as a singular noun phrase and has the same meaning as among whereas the term among is used as plural noun phrase preposition.
Conclusion
Both the words i.e. Among and Amongst are being used interchangeably by people.
However, both of them are significantly different when it comes to grammar and ways of speech.
In
order to remember the difference between Among and Amongst, one can remember
that Among is relatively old and traditional but very short and crisp.
However,
the term Amongst is relatively new and fresh and comes under the purview of
modern English. Although the length of Amongst is more as compared to Among.
Therefore, people of America tend to use Among more whereas the people of Britain prefer using Amongst as their part of speech.
But all in all both Among and Amongst terms are great ways for communication between two or more parties and are really helpful modes of language.
References
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/among
- https://www.yourdictionary.com/amongst