Where does “either” come from?
Either derives from Middle English either, from Old English ǣġþer, a shortened form of Old English ǣġhwæþer meaning "each of two."
either (English): Any one; Each of two; both; One or other of two...
Definitions
- Any one; Each of two; both; One or other of two...
Ancestry of “either”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | either | Both of two; Each of two; Either of two |
| 2 | Old English | ǣġþer | — |
| 3 | Old English | ǣġhwæþer | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aiw | always, for ever |