twitten

English

Alternative forms

• twitchel
• twister (pre Sussex dialect)

Etymology

Corruption of betwixt and between. Alternatively: derived from Low German "twiete" (alley)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪtən

Noun

twitten (plural twittens)

1. (Sussex) a narrow path between two walls or hedges, especially on hills. For example, small alleyways leading between two buildings to courtyards, streets, or open areas behind.
   • 1892: "A Peep Into the Past": Brighton in the Olden Time, with Glances at the Present by John George Bishop

     Separated from the Brewery by the narrow twitten running into Ship-street was "THE CRICKETERS"

   • 2015, Matthew De Abaitua, If Then:

     On her rounds, she preferred to walk around Lewes via the twittens, the steep high-walled alleyways that ran betwixt and between the old buildings of the town.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:alley

References

• Parish, William Douglas. A dictionary of the Sussex dialect and collection of provincialisms in use in the county of Sussex (1875). [1]