each English · revision 1837

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=before 830}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /iːtʃ/^(Roach et al. 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|ech]], [[m|enm|elch]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995) [[inh|ang|ǣlc|t=any, all, every, each]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) short for [[m|ang|ā-gelīc|t=ever alike]], formed [[af|ang|ā|gelīc|t1=ever|t2=alike]] (see [[aye]] and [[alike]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Klein 1966) from a West Germanic expression found also in [[nl|elk]] and [[de|jeglich|t=each, every]].^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(COED 2004) The ''l'' was lost as in ''[[which]]'' and ''[[such]]'',^(Hoad 1986)^(Weekley 1921) but survives in Scots ''[[ilk]]''.^(Weekley 1921)^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Every one of a group considered separately; also any, all (Old English ''ǣlc'', before 830).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old English ''ǣlc'' was used as we now use ''every'' (itself a compound of ''each'') or ''all'', and Etymonline attributes its modern distributive use to the influence of [[la|quisque]].^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(Weekley 1921) With a plural noun and without distributive force it meant simply “all, both”, a use lost by the 17th century,^(HTOED) and after ''without'' it meant “any” until about 1300.^(HTOED)^(OED 1989) The spelling ''each'' began to appear gradually in the late 1500s.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Each other'' is a compound reciprocal pronoun, sometimes restricted to two people,^(Chambers 2008)^(SOED 2002) and ''each way'', in betting, means for a win and for a place.^(Chambers 2008)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 830 – Old English ''ǣlc''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1200 – ''elch'', ''æche'', in Layamon.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * Old English to 17th century – all, both, with a plural noun.^(HTOED)

+ * late 1500s – the spelling ''each''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # Every one of two or more, considered separately: ''each person cast a vote''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # Every one of a group individually; each one: ''to each his own''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # For or to each one; [[apiece]]: ''ten cents each''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[each other]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[every]]

+ * [[ilk]]

+ * [[aye]]

+ * [[alike]]

+ * [[such]]

+ * [[which]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ When the subject of a sentence begins with ''each'', the traditional rule holds that the verb and following pronouns are singular (''each of the suites has its own entrance''), but when ''each'' follows a plural subject they stay plural (''the suites each have their own entrances'').^(AHD)^(RHWU) Random House distinguishes ''each'', which directs attention to the separate members in turn, from ''every'', which stresses inclusiveness.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}