Etymograph

English

sometimes

Sometimes comes from Middle English sumtymes.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sumtymes1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1595sometimes1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sometimes
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “Farewell old Gaunt, thy ſometimes brothers wife / With…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sumtymesWiktionary, English sometimes
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1595sometimesWiktionary, English sometimes. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1595, The Life and Death of King Richard the Second: “Farewell old Gaunt, thy ſometimes brothers wife / With…”

Formed from sometime + -s

Middle English somtyme

English sometime

Every English word from Middle English sumtymes

Today it means

adv On some occasions, over some periods, or in certain circumstances, but not always.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sometimes”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English sumtymes / sometimes

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