"At times" is a common phrase used to indicate occasional occurrences. In IPA phonetic transcription, the pronunciation of the word "at" is /æt/, with the symbol /æ/ representing the vowel sound in "cat". The pronunciation of the word "times" is /taɪmz/, with the symbol /aɪ/ representing the diphthong sound in "eye". The use of the letter "a" in "at" and the combination of letters "i" and "e" in "times" are consistent with the English language's irregular spelling patterns.
At times refers to certain instances or occasions when something occurs intermittently, sporadically, or occasionally. It denotes the idea of occasional occurrences that are not necessarily consistent or regular. The phrase emphasizes the inconsistency or irregularity of the events being described.
The term "at times" implies that a particular action, behavior, or situation takes place periodically or intermittently, without adhering to a fixed pattern or predictable schedule. It suggests that these instances occur infrequently or unpredictably, varying from one time to another. For example, when a person says, "I feel happy at times," it means that there are sporadic moments of happiness amidst an overall neutral or unhappy state.
The phrase can be used to express fluctuating emotions or behaviors, indicating that they are not constant or permanent. It also implies that circumstances or conditions may change periodically, alternating between different states or fluctuations. Furthermore, "at times" can be employed to convey situations or events that occur irregularly over a specified period, highlighting the intermittent nature of their occurrence.
Overall, "at times" conveys the idea of sporadic or occasional instances that deviate from a consistent or regular pattern. It emphasizes the inconsistency, unpredictability, and intermittent nature of the action, behavior, or situation being described.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The phrase "at times" originated from Middle English, where "at" means "in" or "during", and "times" refers to a specific point or period. The etymology can be understood by examining the individual components of the phrase:
1. "At" - This preposition has roots in Old English and Germanic languages, where it meant "in" or "on". It has a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor with words like "to" and "ad" (Latin), all conveying a similar idea of direction or proximity.
2. "Times" - This noun, also originating from Old English, comes from the Proto-Germanic word "timō", meaning "time" or "season". It ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "di-", related to the concept of dividing or cutting.