anywhen adv.

(in relation to time travel) in or to any point in time

Rarely as n.

OED records the sense ‘at any time; ever; = anytime’, labelled ‘nonstandard (chiefly English regional and humorous)’ from 1834.

Time Travel

  • 1941 ‘C. Saunders’ Elsewhere in Astounding Science Fiction Sept. 100/1 page image Robert A. Heinlein bibliography

    The younger man glanced about him. ‘Where are the others?’ ‘Where? Anywhere,’ replied Frost with a shrug, ‘and anywhen. ’

  • 1958 F. Leiber Try and Change the Past in Astounding Science Fiction Mar. 94/1 page image Fritz Leiber bibliography

    In the Change War we're trying to alter the past—and it’s tricky, brutal work, believe me—at points all over the cosmos, anywhere and anywhen, so that history will be warped to make our side defeat the Spiders.

  • 1971 R. Silverberg In Entropy’s Jaws in R. Hoskins Infinity 2 224 Robert Silverberg

    Anything. Anywhere. Anywhen. You're free to move along the time-line as you please. In a state of controlled, directed fugue, so to speak.

  • 1988 G. A. Landis Ripples in the Dirac Sea in Asimov’s Science Fiction Oct. 92 page image Geoffrey A. Landis bibliography

    I punched out a code on the keypad, somewhen, anywhen other than that one instant.

  • 2001 J. Fforde Eyre Affair 2 Jasper Fforde bibliography

    I wasn’t a member of the ChronoGuard. I never wanted to be. By all accounts it’s not a huge barrel of laughs, although the pay is good and the service boasts a retirement plan second to none: a one-way ticket to anywhere and anywhen you want.

  • 2015 K. Bartholomew & K. Baker Pareidolia in Asimov’s Science Fiction Mar. 30 page image Kage Baker Kathleen Bartholomew bibliography

    Stupid, aggressive, and dumb as a box of rocks, like sports fans anywhere and anywhen.

Research requirements

antedating 1941
Earliest cite

Robert A. Heinlein, Elsewhen
Research History
Varun Rao submitted a cite from a 1990 reprint of Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity".
Ralf Brown submitted a cite from a 1987 reprint of Robert Heinlein's story "Elsewhen"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1941 first publication.
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a reprint of Fritz Leiber's "Try and Change the Past"; Mike Christie verified it in the 1958 first magazine appearance.
Mike Christie submitted a cite from a 1981 reprint of Poul Anderson's "The Avatar".
Ralf Brown located and Daniel Frankham submitted a 1971 cite from Robert Silverberg's "In Entropy's Jaws".
Jeff Prucher submitted a 2002 cite from Jasper Fforde's "The Eyre Affair".

Last modified 2021-01-29 20:54:16
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.