The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style says that amongst, amidst,
and whilst are considered archaic and therefore pretentious in American
English but not in British English, and that toward is prevalent in American
English, towards in British. (I think by American they mean USA, not
Canada.) This more or less accords with my own impression. The forms in
-st to me would sound definitely odd used by an American. Towards, though,
seems perfectly ordinary American English, though less frequently used than
towards.
|