also

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-der.?
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂elnós
3. Proto-Germanic*allaz
4. Proto-West Germanic*all
5. Proto-Indo-European*swéder.?
6. Proto-Germanic*swa
7. Proto-West Germanic*swā
8. Proto-West Germanic*allswā
9. Old Englisheallswā
10. Middle Englishalso
11. English todayalso

From Middle English also, alswo, alswa (also als(e), as, whence English as), from Old English eallswā (“just like, also”), from Proto-West Germanic *allswā, equivalent to all + so. Cognate with Scots alsa, alswa (“also, even so, in the same way, as, as well”), Saterland Frisian also (“accordingly, therefore, thus”), West Frisian alsa (“so, just so, even so, thus”), Old Saxon alsō (“similarly, as if, just as, when”), Dutch alzo (“so, thus”), German also (“so, thus”), Danish altså (“so”), Norwegian Bokmål altså (“so, therefore, accordingly, thus”), Norwegian Nynorsk altso (“so, accordingly, therefore, thus”), Swedish alltså (“so, therefore, accordingly, thus, then”). Doublet of as. More at all, so.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14ᵗʰ c. In addition; besides; as well; further; too.