without English · revision 1776

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 893}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /wɪˈðaʊt/ ''(UK)''; /wɪˈðaʊt/, /-ˈθaʊt/ ''(US)''^(Roach et al. 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|withouten]], [[m|enm|withoute]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD) [[inh|ang|wiþūtan|t=outside of, from outside]],^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) formed [[af|ang|wiþ|ūtan|t1=against, with|t2=from outside]] (see [[with]] and [[out]]), literally “against the outside”, as the opposite of ''[[within]]''.^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Outside, on the outside of (Old English ''wiþūtan'', as a preposition c. 893 in the OED).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “lacking, not having”, the opposite of ''with'', is attested from about 1200,^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)^(Hoad 1986) and “in the absence of (a person)” from the late 14th century.^(HTOED) By the late 14th century it was also a conjunction, short for ''without that'',^(Etymonline) and in the sense “unless” it is now dialectal, as in Mark Twain's “you don't know about me without you have read a book”.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024) The original senses “outside, outdoors” are now literary or archaic,^(OED 1989)^(COED 2004) but survive in the names of English civil parishes such as ''St Cuthbert Without''.^(Wiktionary)^(SOED 2002) A noun, “an outer place”, as in ''from without'', dates from the 15th century.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024) Colloquially ''without'' alone has meant “lacking money, poor” since the 1920s.^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 893 – Old English ''wiþūtan'', outside of.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – lacking, not having.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – conjunction, unless.^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 15th century – noun, an outer place.^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1922 – lacking money, poor (colloquial).^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Not having; [[lack|alt=lacking]]: ''a family without a car''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Not accompanied by; in the absence of: ''he came without his wife''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Not doing the action mentioned: ''spoke without thinking''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)

+ # ''(archaic or literary)'' Outside of: ''without the city gates''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(archaic or literary)'' On the outside; outdoors.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(COED 2004)

+ # Lacking something: ''had to do without''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(dialect)'' Unless.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(COED 2004)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # An outer place: ''from without''.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[withoutdoors]]

+ * [[absent without leave]]

+ * [[minister without portfolio]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[with]]

+ * [[within]]

+ * [[out]]

+ * [[outwith]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}