else

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Other; in addition to or different from what has already been mentioned.

   The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?

2. 2
   adv

   In a different way or in different circumstances; otherwise.

   How else can it be done?

3. 3
   conj

   If not; otherwise.

   Hurry up, or else we will miss the train.

From Middle English ells, elles, from Old English elles (“other, otherwise, different”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljas, from Proto-Germanic *aljas (“of another, of something else”), genitive of *aljaz (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos, from *h₂el- (“other”). Cognate with Old Frisian elles (“other”), Old High German elles, ellies (“other”), Danish eller (“or”), Danish ellers (“otherwise”), Swedish eljes, eljest (“or else, otherwise”), Norwegian elles (“else, otherwise”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”), Latin alius (“other, another”), Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), Arcadocypriot αἶλος…

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