Etymology

otherwise

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Today it means: Differently, in another way. Full definition →

Middle English otherwise ← Old English on ōþre wīsan
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromon ōþre wīsan
  2. Middle English · inherited fromotherwise
  3. English todayotherwise

From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.