always

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɔːl.weɪz/, /-wəz/, /-wɪz/ (UK); /ˈɔːl-/, /ˈɑːl-/ (US)^[1][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English alwayes, alweis, an alteration of alwey, alway under the influence of the adverbial genitive ending -es;^[3][4] alwey is in turn inherited from Old English ealne weg (“all the way”), formed from ealne, the accusative of eall (“all”), and weg (“way”).^[4][3][5] According to Barnhart two phrases merged: Old English ealne weg, an adverbial accusative meaning “the whole way”, which before 899 also took the sense “at every time, continually”, and a genitive phrase alles weis (“at every time”).^[6][7] The New Oxford Dictionary suggests that the genitive at first gave the sense “at every time”, as opposed to “at one uninterrupted time”, a difference no longer felt.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

At every time, on every occasion (c. 1230 in the OED; the sense “every time” is from the early 13th century in Etymonline).^[9][5]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline notes that although ealne weg literally expressed distance, its oldest recorded uses already refer to time.^[5] The form with -s appeared in the early 13th century but was rare before about 1400;^[5] Barnhart dates always itself to about 1350, after which it gradually gained ground on alway.^[6] Alway survived into the 1800s, mostly as a conscious archaism in poetry, as in the hymn “I Would Not Live Alway”.^[5][6] The sense “for all time, perpetually” is recorded from 1375,^[9] and “in any case, at any rate”, as in you can always resign, from the early 15th century.^[10][9] From about 1470 to 1825 it could also mean “nevertheless”,^[10] and in Scots it means “still”.^[7] Used with a continuous tense, as in she is always complaining, it often suggests annoyance.^[2][8]

Timeline

• before 899 – Old English ealne weg, continually.^[6]
• c. 1230 – at every time.^[9]
• c. 1350 – the form always.^[11]
• 1375 – for all time, perpetually.^[9]
• early 15th century – in any event, at any rate.^[10]
• 1800s – alway survives only as an archaism.^[5][6]

Modern meaning

Adverb

1. At all times; on every occasion; invariably.
2. For all time; forever: they will always be friends.
3. Throughout a long period of the past: she had always been healthy.
4. Repeatedly, often annoyingly so.
5. In any case; failing all else: you can always resign.
6. (Scotland) Still.

Related words

• all
• way
• alway
• ever

Usage notes

Random House distinguishes always from ever: always often implies repetition producing uniformity (the sun always rises in the east), while ever suggests an unchanging sameness throughout.^[12]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
7. ^ a b The Chambers Dictionary (2008), 11th ed., Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap
8. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
10. ^ a b c Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
11. ^ Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
12. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House