else

English Online Dictionary. What means else‎? What does else mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English ells, elles, from Old English elles (“other, otherwise, different”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljas, from Proto-Germanic *aljas (“of another, of something else”), genitive of *aljaz (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos, from *h₂el- (“other”).

Cognate with Old Frisian elles (“other”), Old High German elles, ellies (“other”), Danish eller (“or”), Danish ellers (“otherwise”), Swedish eljes, eljest (“or else, otherwise”), Norwegian elles (“else, otherwise”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”), Latin alius (“other, another”), Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), Arcadocypriot αἶλος (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ɛls/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɛlts/
• Rhymes: -ɛls

Adjective

else (not comparable)

1. (postpositive, used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.

Usage notes

• This adjective usually follows an indefinite or interrogative pronoun, as in the examples above. In other cases, the adjective other is typically used.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

else (not comparable)

1. (usually follows interrogative adverbs) Otherwise, if not.

Usage notes

• (otherwise): This word frequently follows interrogative adverbs, such as how, why, and when, as well as the derived however, whyever, and whenever.

Synonyms

• otherwise

Derived terms

• or else

Translations

Conjunction

else

1. For otherwise; or else.

Derived terms

• if-then-else
• dangling else

Translations

See also

• and
• if
• not
• or
• then

Anagrams

• slee, Slee, lese, lees, EELS, Lees, eels, seel, sele, ELEs, l'ees

Italian

Noun

else f

1. plural of elsa

Anagrams

• Sele, lese