It's in the OED. The first usage in the sense of "up to the time of (an event)" was eight hundred and fifty years ago, marginally predating 'until'.
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50252760?query_type=word&queryword=till&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=KlGI-iR9nMh-4457&result_place=3 Unfortunately, you won't be able to read the link until you're back at college, pay for a subscription, or set up an http tunnel.
Unfortunately, I'm not very good at reading complicated dictionary entries, so I'm not sure when they're synonymous and when not, and have probably misrepresented it a bit. But it's good for getting a discussion going :)
no subject
Date: 2004-12-20 06:23 pm (UTC)It's in the OED. The first usage in the sense of "up to the time of (an event)" was eight hundred and fifty years ago, marginally predating 'until'.
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50252760?query_type=word&queryword=till&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=KlGI-iR9nMh-4457&result_place=3 Unfortunately, you won't be able to read the link until you're back at college, pay for a subscription, or set up an http tunnel.
Unfortunately, I'm not very good at reading complicated dictionary entries, so I'm not sure when they're synonymous and when not, and have probably misrepresented it a bit. But it's good for getting a discussion going :)