among

Etymology

From Middle English among, amang, amonge, amange, from Old English amang, onġemang, equivalent to a- + mong (“crowd; group; throng”). Compare dialectal German mang, Saterland Frisian monk, monken (“among”). The development of Middle English /ɔ/ to /ʌ/ between /m/ and [ŋ] seen in this word also occurred in monger and mongrel.

prep

1. Denotes a mingling or intermixing with distinct or separable objects. (See Usage Note at amidst.)
   How can you speak with authority about their customs when you have never lived among them?
2. Denotes a belonging of a person or a thing to a group.
   He is among the few who completely understand the subject.
   All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism. 2013-08-10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848
3. Denotes a sharing of a common feature in a group.
   Lactose intolerance is common among people of Asian heritage.