either (English)

Where does "either" come from?

The English word 'either' traces its lineage through Middle English and Old English 'ǣġhwæþer'[1]. This Old English term was a combination of Proto-West Germanic '*aiw' meaning 'always' and '*gahwaþara' meaning 'each'[7]. Further back, the root '*aiw' descends from Proto-Germanic '*aiwaz'[3], which ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European base '*h₂óyu' and '*h₂yéws'[4], connected to the sense of vital force, life, age, or eternity[5].

Open questions

The ultimate derivation connects the Proto-Germanic noun form back to a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root signifying vital force or life. [4] [5]

Full etymology tree

either (English), 'As well.'
- inherited either (Middle English), 'Both of two.'
  - inherited æghwæþer (Old English), 'each (of two)'
    - compound *aiw (Proto-West Germanic), 'long time, age, eternity'
      - inherited *aiwaz (Proto-Germanic), 'long time, age, eternity'
        inherited *h₂óyu ~ *h₂yéws (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *h₂ey- (Proto-Indo-European), 'vital force, life, age, eternity'
    - compound *gahwaþar (Proto-West Germanic), 'both, each (of two)'
      - derived *ga- (Proto-West Germanic), 'used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating completeness or perfectivity'
      - derived *hwaþar (Proto-West Germanic), 'which (of two, interrogative)'

Ancestors

*h₂ey- (Proto-Indo-European)
either (Middle English)
*aiw (Proto-West Germanic)

Cognates and doublets

ieder (Dutch)
jeder (German)
eogihwethar (Old Saxon)

Sources

Updated August 2026

More words starting with E

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris