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 (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”), Proto-Slavic *olni.
Meanings
(not-comparable, postpositional, used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.
As with most else in society, early Americans believed that health and healing were in God's hand. 2013, Keith T. Krawczynski, Daily Life in the Colonial City:
Whatever else she may be, she is not a surgeon.
The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?
Prospero:
Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. Follow me;
Hark what thou else shalt do me. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Deriveds
nowhen else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · everywhere else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhat (Terms derived from the adjective else) · anything else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · all else the same (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewho (Terms derived from the adjective else) · nothing else for it (Terms derived from the adjective else) · nobody else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elseworld (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elif (Terms derived from the adjective else) · somewhere else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhence (Terms derived from the adjective else) · anyone else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · anywhere else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · someone else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · if nothing else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsehow (Terms derived from the adjective else) · somebody else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elseward (Terms derived from the adjective else) · nowhere else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · all else being equal (Terms derived from the adjective else) · if all else fails (Terms derived from the adjective else) · like nobody else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhen (Terms derived from the adjective else) · what else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · most else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewise (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhom (Terms derived from the adjective else) · much else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · everybody else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhere (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elsewhither (Terms derived from the adjective else) · everyone else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · anyplace else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · what else is new (Terms derived from the adjective else) · someplace else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · Nowhere Else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elseness (Terms derived from the adjective else) · anybody else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · elseweb (Terms derived from the adjective else) · something else (Terms derived from the adjective else) · nothing else (Terms derived from the adjective else)
Translations (24)
de anderer (other) · es más (other) · pt mais (other) · sv annat (other) · cs jiný (other) · ar آخَر (other) · ang elles (other) · sk iný (other) · ca més (other) · sl drug (other) · ar غَيْر (other) · de sonst (other) · ru ещё (other) · la alius (other) · de anders (other) · fi muu (other) · hu más (other) · cs ostatní (other) · ro altceva (other) · km ទៀត (other) · pl inny (other) · ro altcineva (other) · fr d'autre (other) · ca altre (other)
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 (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”), Proto-Slavic *olni.
Meanings
(not-comparable, qualifier:usually follows interrogative adverbs) Otherwise, if not.
I'm busy Friday; when else (= what other time) works for you?
The crust of ice on the else rippling brook was so transparent, and so thin in texture, that the lively water might of its own free will have stopped—in Tom’s glad mind it had—to look upon the lovely morning. 1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC:
fr sinon (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · fr autrement (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · lt o dar (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · la alioqui (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · yi אַנישט (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · hu másként (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · bg иначе (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · nl anders (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · nl zoniet (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · el αλλιώς (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · da ellers (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · de anders (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · sv annars (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · ru ина́че (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · hu máshogyan (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · hu máskor (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · ta வேறு (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · sk inak (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · fi muuten (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · pt em vez de (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · ka სხვანაირად (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · it altro (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · nl in het andere geval (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · pl inaczej (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · es sino (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · ja 然も無くば (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · es más (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · de ansonsten (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · bg освен това (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · yi אַניט (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · eo alie (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · ka სხვაგვარად (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · hu másképp (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · pt senão (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · pt além disso (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · hu máshogy (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · de andernfalls (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to) · de sonst (word that implies any result with the exception of the one being referred to)
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 (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”), Proto-Slavic *olni.
Meanings
For otherwise; or else.
Then the Wronskian of f and g must be nonzero, else they could not be linearly independent.
He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it. 1903 July, Jack London, “The Law of Club and Fang”, in The Call of the Wild, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 44:
ar وَإِلَا (for otherwise — see also or else) · nds-de süs (for otherwise — see also or else) · fr sinon (for otherwise — see also or else) · de andernfalls (for otherwise — see also or else) · de ansonsten (for otherwise — see also or else) · ta இல்லையெனில் (for otherwise — see also or else) · sv annars (for otherwise — see also or else) · sl sicer (for otherwise — see also or else) · de sonst (for otherwise — see also or else) · es sino (for otherwise — see also or else) · pt senão (for otherwise — see also or else) · fr autrement (for otherwise — see also or else)