or

or · conjunction¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*efþau“or”
2. Old English · inherited fromoþþe
3. Middle English · inherited fromoththe
4. Old English · inherited fromāþor
5. Middle English · inherited fromor
6. English todayor

From Middle English or; partially contracted from other, auther, from Old English āþor, āwþer, āhwæþer ("some, any, either"; > either); and partially from Middle English oththe, from Old English oþþe, from Proto-Germanic *efþau (“or”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian of (“or”), Cimbrian odar, òdar (“or”), Dutch of, oft, ofte (“or”), German, Luxembourgish, and Vilamovian oder (“or”), Low German of, àder, àr, åder, år (“or”), Yiddish אָדער (oder, “or”), Icelandic eða, eður (“or”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌸𐌰𐌿 (aiþþau, “or; otherwise”).

or · noun²

From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above).

or · noun, adjective³

1. Latin · derived fromaurum“gold”
2. Old French · derived fromor
3. Middle French · borrowed fromor“yellow”
4. Middle English · inherited fromor“gold”
5. English todayor

From late Middle English or (“gold”), borrowed from Middle French or (“yellow”), from Old French or, from Latin aurum (“gold”). Doublet of aurum.

or · adverb, preposition⁴

1. Old Norse · derived fromár
2. Old English · inherited fromār
3. English todayor

From Late Old English ār, from Old Norse ár. Compare ere.

Or · proper noun⁵

1. Hebrew · borrowed fromאור
2. English todayOr

Borrowed from Cantonese 柯 (o1) or from Hebrew אור ('ór). This surname is mostly found in Hong Kong.

Words from the same roots