æghwæþer

Old English

Alternative forms

• ǣġþer, āðer (contraction)

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *aiwon (“always”) ( > Old English ā) + *gahwaþera (“each”) (> Old English ġehwæþer). Ultimately pertaining to *aiw + *hwaþar. Cognate with Old Saxon eogihwethar, Old High German eogihwedar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæːjˌxwæ.θer/, [ˈæːjˌʍæ.ðer]

Pronoun

ǣġhwæþer

1. each (of two)
2. both
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Gyf þonne ǣfre gebyreð þæt þū þē ful hālne and ful trumne ongytst, and hæafst æalle þīne frēond myd þē, ǣġðer ge on mōde ge on līchaman, and on ðām ilcan worce and on ðām ylcan willum ðe ðē best lyst dōn, hweðer þū ðonne wille bēon āwiht blīðe?

     If then it ever happen that thou shalt find thyself full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, both in mind and in body, and in that same work and in that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then be happy at all?

Descendants

• Middle English: either, æȝþer, ethir, eiþer, outher
  • English: either
  • Scots: aither