Among vs. Amongst

Among or amongst ?

Among is the earlier word of this pair: according to the Oxford English Dictionary , it first appeared in Old
English . The variant form, amongst, is a later development, coming along in the Middle English period. Is there any distinction other than spelling between among and amongst or are they completely interchangeable ? The good news is that, with regard to their meanings, there’s no difference whatsoever between among and amongst . They’re both prepositions which mean:

Situated in the middle of a group of people or things:

E.g. We saw a factory tucked in among the houses.

E.g. Dad has agreed to cook and that frees me up to mingle amongst my guests.

Belonging to or happening within a group:

E.g. These companies were among those to indicate lower earnings.

E.g. I was amongst the last to leave .

Indicating a division or choice between three* or more people or things:

E.g. The grant will be divided among the six participating institutions.

E.g.It certainly did not mean that this income is shared out equally amongst the population.