Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Is it 'til or till?
I'm just getting confused on the correct spelling of the short version of until. Is it 'til or till? The first one looks correct to me and the latter reminds me of a machinary or old english. So which is correct? 'Til or till?
15 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
I have seen both used. I think either is acceptable.
Source(s): http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary - Carlos RLv 51 decade ago
'til is correct for the short version of until. As in " 'til death do us part" in a wedding.
Till (with 2 L's) means to plough the soil.
- 7 years ago
Till came first. Until came later. In the USA, it is common to see 'til used as a shortened version of until, however according to some dictionaries, this is technically incorrect usage.
- How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
It's 'til, because 'til is short for until, not untill.
But till is a word as well. (Till the soil... count the till in the change drawer... etc...)
- Win SLv 41 decade ago
'til is correct. Since you're omitting the first two letters, the ' symbol takes their place, just like in a contraction (i.e.- can not = can't).
BTW- "till" refers to a small box for collecting money (i.e.- "Place your donation in the till.") although it's not commonly used anymore in America.
- 6 years ago
both are correct. until is derived from TILL and 'til is derived from UNTIL. in order TILL came before UNTIL and 'TIL came after. all three are correct usages. 'til is more common in the USA and TILL is more common in EUROPE and what not.
- JezabelLv 58 years ago
It's actually "till", which dates back to the 14th century.
'Until' is actually a derivative of 'till'. It appears to have been formed by the addition of Old Norse "und" meaning ‘as far as’, several hundred years after the date of the first records for till.
- 8 years ago
When you're talking about a period of time that must lapse before something happens, "till" and "until" are equivalent. Don't believe it? Check a dictionary. "Till" actually came first, and "until" followed more recently.
We spun in circles until we were dizzy.
We ran till we were breathless.
" 'Til" is also an acceptable shortened form of "until," but the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says the form is “etymologically incorrect.”
If you want to avoid controversy, it's safest to stick with "until."