even

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

English

Alternative forms

• eben (etymology 1: adverb, adjective)
• e'en (etymology 1: adverb, etymology 2: noun; contraction, poetic, archaic)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈiːvən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈivən/, [ˈivn̩]
• Hyphenation: e‧ven
• Rhymes: -iːvən

Etymology 1

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”).

Cognate with West Frisian even (“even”), Low German even (“flat, level”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen, German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Icelandic jafn, jamn (“even, equal”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”).

The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne.

The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view.

For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

Adjective

even (comparative more even, superlative most even)

1. Flat and level.

2. Without great variation.

3. Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc.

4. (not comparable, of an integer) Divisible by two.

5. (of a number) Convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero.
6. On equal monetary terms; neither owing nor being owed.
7. (colloquial) On equal terms of a moral sort; quits.

8. Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.
   • '
9. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
10. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition.
    • c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe, Bible - Matthew 18.29

      His even servant.

Usage notes

• Because of confusion with the "divisible by two" sense, use of even to mean "convenient for rounding" is rare; the synonym round is more common for this sense.

Synonyms

• (flat and level): flat, level, uniform; see also Thesaurus:smooth
• (without great variation): regular, monotone (voice); see also Thesaurus:steady
• (equal): level, on par; see also Thesaurus:equal
• (convenient for rounding): round
• (on equal monetary terms): quits (colloquial, UK)
• (on equal moral terms): quits, square

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “flat and level”): uneven
• (antonym(s) of “divisible by two”): odd

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

even (third-person singular simple present evens, present participle evening, simple past and past participle evened)

1. (transitive) To make flat and level.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To equal or equate; to make the same.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with.

Synonyms

• (to make flat and level): flatten, level
• (to equal): match
• (to place in an equal state): settle

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

even (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Exactly, just, fully.
2. In reality; implying an extreme example in the case mentioned, as compared to the implied reality.
3. Emphasizing a comparative.

4. Signalling a correction of one's previous utterance; rather, that is.

Synonyms

• (exactly, just, fully): definitely, precisely; see also Thesaurus:exactly
• (implying extreme example): so much as
• (emphasizing comparative): still
• (correction to previous utterance): See Thesaurus:in other words

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

even (plural evens)

1. (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.

Translations

References

Etymology 2

From Middle English even, from Old English ǣfen, from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs (“evening”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Äivend, Äiwend, Eeuwend (“evening”), West Frisian jûn (“evening”), Dutch avond (“evening”), Low German Avend (“evening”), German Abend (“evening”), Danish aften (“evening”). See also the related terms eve and evening.

Noun

even (plural evens)

2. (archaic or poetic) Evening.

Synonyms

• evening, eventide; see also Thesaurus:evening

Derived terms

Related terms

• eve
• evening

Translations

Anagrams

• Neve, eevn, neve, névé

Chinese

Etymology

From English even or even if or even though.

Pronunciation

Conjunction

even

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin) even though; even if

   • Even你只存在照片裡／Even你只存在照片里 [Taiwanese Mandarin]  ―  Even nǐ zhǐ cúnzài zhàopiàn lǐ [Pinyin]  ―  Even though you only exist in pictures

Synonyms

Dutch

Alternative forms

• effen (for the temporal senses of the adverb; colloquial; standard)
• effe (for the temporal senses of the adverb; colloquial; non-standard)
• ff (for the temporal senses of the adverb; slang, common chat abbreviation)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch even, effen, from Old Dutch *evan, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.və(n)/
• Hyphenation: even
• Rhymes: -eːvən

Adverb

even

1. shortly, briefly

2. for a short period, for a while

3. for a moment; modal particle indicating that the speaker expects that something will require little time or effort.

4. just as, to the same degree (used with an adjective)

5. (Netherlands) quite, rather

Synonyms

• eventjes
• effentjes

Derived terms

Descendants

• Javindo: efen
• Negerhollands: even, eeven
• → Caribbean Javanese: éfe (via Sranan Tongo)
• → Kwinti: even

Adjective

even (not comparable)

1. even, opposite of odd

   Antonym: oneven

Declension

Derived terms

Anagrams

• veen
• neve

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *evan, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

Adjective

ēven

1. even, equal

Declension

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: even
  • Afrikaans: ewe
• Limburgish: aeve

Adverb

ēven

1. just as, equally

Descendants

• Dutch: even
  • Afrikaans: ewe

Further reading

• “even (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “even (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “even (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “evene (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page evene

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English efn, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

Alternative forms

• evene, efen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːvən/

Adverb

even

1. smoothly, evenly
2. impartially, justly

Descendants

• English: even
• Scots: evin
• Yola: e'en

References

• “ēven, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English ǣfen, from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs.

Alternative forms

• eve, aven, yeven

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːvə(n)/

Noun

even (plural evenes)

1. eve

Descendants

• English: eve, even
• Scots: evin, ewin, e'en, een
• Yola: eave

References

• “ēve(n, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Noun

even

1. Alternative form of hevene

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

even m

1. definite singular of eve

Anagrams

• Even, even, evne, neve, veen, vene