English

ever

/ˈɛvə(ɹ)/
Always, frequently, forever.

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    Origin

    From Middle English ever, from Old English ǣfre, originally a phrase whose first element undoubtedly consists of Old English ā (“ever, always”) + in (“in”) + an element possibly from feorh (“life, existence”) (dative fēore). Compare Old English ā tō fēore (“ever in life”), Old English feorhlīf (“life”) from feorh (“life”) + līf (“life”).

    Sense 5 of the adverb was likely formed by association with never, which also carries the meaning of did not in colloquial Singaporean and Malaysian English. Also, compare Chinese 有 … 過 /有 … 过 (yǒu ... guò / jau⁵ ... gwo³, “has […] before”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishever
      • inheritedOld Englishǣfre “ever”
        • partOld Englishā “ever, always”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*aiw “eternity; long time”
        • partOld Englishin “in”
        • partOld Englishfeorh
    • rootProto-Indo-European*h₂ey- “life, vital force; long time; eternity”
    • rootProto-Indo-European*perkʷ- “life, force, strength, tree”

    Related: Old English ā

    Words built on it: the

    Sources