either

Meanings

1. 1
   det

   One or the other of two things or people.

   You can have it in either colour.

2. 2
   pron

   One or the other of two.

   He made me two offers, but I did not accept either.

3. 3
   conj

   Used before the first of two choices, with the second introduced by 'or'.

   Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.

4. 4
   adv

   Used after a negative statement to mean 'also'.

   I don't like him, and I don't like her either.

From Middle English either, from Old English ǣġhwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw + *gahwaþar. Akin to Old Saxon eogihwethar, iahwethar (Low German jeed); Old Dutch *iogewether, *iowether, *iother (Dutch ieder); Old High German eogihwedar, iegihweder, ieweder (German jeder). The pronunciations with /iː/ and /eɪ/ respectively reflect Middle English forms in /ɛː/ and /æi/; the origin of that with /aɪ/ is less clear, but it may reflect a Middle English form with /iː/; see Middle English either for more discussion.

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