English

as if

/ˌæz‿ˈɪf/
As though; in a manner suggesting.

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    Origin

    From Middle English as ȝif, alls iff (“as if”), from Old English *ealswā ġif, attested only as swā ġif (“as if”), equivalent to as + if. Compare Saterland Frisian as of (“as if”), Dutch alsof (“as if”), Low German as of (“as if”), German als ob (“as if”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishas ȝif
      • inheritedOld English*ealswā ġif
    • surface analysisEnglishas “To such an extent or degree; to the same extent or degree.”
    • surface analysisEnglishif “Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; suppositive used to introduce a condition…”

    Related: Saterland Frisian as of, Dutch alsof, Low German as of, German als ob

    Sources