betwixt
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "betwixt" is an older form of "between," meaning "in the middle of" or "separating two things." It survives in everyday talk and especially in phrases like "betwixt and between."
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I grew up hearin' my Momma use 'betwixt,' but I don't hear it as much as I used to. I do use it myself from time to time. Pronunciation
[bih-TWIKST] /bɪˈtwɪkst/
Meaning & Usage
- Between or in the middle of (preposition/adverb)
Mae:
Where’s the cabin?
Where’s the cabin?
Earl:
Betwixt the big oak and the old well.
Betwixt the big oak and the old well.variations: between, amid, among, ’twixt (older form)
★ "Betwixt" is the Middle English ancestor of "between." Southern/Appalachian speech kept it alive long after it faded from standard American English. You’ll also hear "’twixt" as an even older, shorter form. ★
Origin
From Old English "betwix" (between). Documented in the Dictionary of American Regional English as especially common in the South and South Midland. Survived in Appalachian and rural Southern speech where older British terms lingered.
Notes
Still heard today among older speakers and in nostalgic or humorous writing. Outside the region it reads as quaint or old-fashioned but is easily understood. See also Betwixt and Between for the classic idiom.
Say It Like a Southerner
Say it natural: often clipped to "’twixt" in very old-fashioned speech ("’twixt you and me").