oþer

Forms

ōþer (strong)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *anþar, from Proto-Germanic *anþeraz (“the other of two, second”).^[1][2] Its cognates are Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂 (anþar), Old Norse annarr, Old Frisian ōther, Old Saxon ōthar and Old High German andar.^[2][3][4]

Kroonen and Wiktionary derive it from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énteros (“other”), the source also of Lithuanian añtras (“second”) and Old Prussian antars (“other”).^[2][1][3] Orel adds Proto-Slavic *vъtorъ (“second”).^[3] De Vries explains it as a comparative formation with the suffix *-tero- made to the pronominal root *ono-, and Köbler likewise connects it with the demonstrative root Proto-Indo-European *eno- (“that”).^[5][4]

The /n/ was lost before /þ/ with lengthening of the vowel, which became ō: *anþeraz > *ą̄þar > ōþer, as in Old Frisian and Old Saxon, while Old High German keeps the nasal.^[6][7] Its inflection is always strong; the genitive is ōþres, rarely ōþeres.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in the Vespasian Psalter, whose interlinear gloss was added in the middle of the ninth century: at Psalm 77 in cneorisse oðerre glosses Latin “in generatione altera”, “in another generation”.^[10][11]

Semantic evolution

Bosworth and Toller begin with the sense “one of two”, as of one eye or one thigh, and the phrase ōþer twēġa “one of two alternatives”; then “the second of two, the other”.^[8] Toller's Supplement adds “second” in a series, as in Sem se yldesta, oðer Cham, þridda Iafeth “Shem the eldest, the second Ham, the third Japheth”, and “every other”, as in a charter where every second fish goes to the landlord.^[12] Klaeber compares Latin “alter” and “alius”, and notes the correlative use “the one … the other”.^[13] In glosses the word renders Latin “alius”, “alter”, “ceterus”, “reliquus” and “secundus”.^[4]

It lived on as Middle English other, now English other.^[14][15]

Timeline

• s. ix med. – in cneorisse oðerre “in another generation” in the Vespasian Psalter gloss.^[10][11]
• 890×897 – in the Pastoral Care (Hatton 20).^[16][11]
• s. x/xi – wæs gehwæðer oðrum lað “each was hateful to the other” in the Beowulf manuscript.^[17][12]

Meanings

Adjective

1. one of two; the other (of two); ōþer … ōþer “the one … the other”.^[8][13]
2. second; next, following.^[12][13][4]
3. other, another, different.^[12][4]
4. remaining;^[4] þā ōþre “the rest”.^[4]
5. every other, the second of each pair.^[12]

Descendants

• Middle English other (→ English other; Scots ither)^[1]

Usage notes

Köbler lists a separate ōþer among the contracted forms of āhwæþer “either, any”.^[18] The Middle English Dictionary notes that other was confused in sense with outher “either”.^[14]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 30
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 21
4. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. ōþer
5. ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 10
6. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 140
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 145
8. ^ a b c Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 769
9. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 266
10. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 329
11. ^ a b c Healey, Antonette diPaolo; Price Wilkin, John; Xiang, Xin, eds. (2009), Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Toronto: Dictionary of Old English Project
12. ^ a b c d e Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. Suppl. 677
13. ^ a b c Fulk, R. D.; Bjork, Robert E.; Niles, John D., eds. (2008), Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg, 4th ed., Toronto: University of Toronto Press (glossary), p. s.v. ōðer
14. ^ a b Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
15. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
16. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 499
17. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 344
18. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. āhwæþer