or
Translingual
Symbol
or
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English or; partially contracted from other, auther, from Old English āþor, āwþer, āhwæþer ("some, any, either"; > either); and partially from Middle English oththe, from Old English oþþe, from Proto-Germanic *efþau (“or”).
Pronunciation
- (stressed)
- (unstressed)
Conjunction
or
- Connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc., each of which could make a passage true.
- You may either stay or come.
- He might get cancer, or be hit by a bus, or God knows what.
- (logic) An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or.
- Counts the elements before and after as two possibilities.
- Otherwise (a consequence of the condition that the previous is false).
- It's raining! Come inside or you'll catch a cold!
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
- No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
- Connects two equivalent names.
Usage notes
- (connecting alternative terms): When not implied by the meaning of the conjoins, it is generally ambiguous whether “or” is intended in an exclusive or inclusive sense. In speech, various means may be used to convey exclusivity, such as stress on the word “or” or a rising intonation before it.[1] In a formal or technical register, and/or may be used to specify inclusivity.
Translations
|
See also
Etymology 2
From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above).
Noun
or (plural ors)
- (logic, electronics) Alternative form of OR
See also
Etymology 3
From late Middle English or (“gold”), borrowed from Middle French or (“yellow”), from Old French or, from Latin aurum (“gold”). Doublet of aurum.
Pronunciation
Noun
or (countable and uncountable, plural ors)
- (heraldry) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
- 1909, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry:
- The metals are gold and silver, these being termed "or" and "argent".
- 1889, Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry:
- In engraving, "Or" is expressed by dots.
- or:
Synonyms
Related terms
- Au (chemical symbol for gold)
Translations
|
Adjective
or (not comparable)
Synonyms
Translations
|
Etymology 4
From Late Old English ār, from Old Norse ár. Compare ere.
Adverb
or
- (obsolete) Early (on).
- (obsolete) Earlier, previously.
Preposition
or
- (now archaic or dialect) Before; ere. Followed by "ever" or "ere".
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 12:6-7:
- Or euer the siluer corde be loosed, or the golden bowle be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine, or the wheele broken at the cisterne. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall returne vnto God who gaue it.
- 1834, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:
- I looked to heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came, and made
My heart as dry as dust.
- 1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods[2], London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 3:
- And Time went forth into the worlds to obey the commands of the gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and the gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever the gods became.
References
Anagrams
Aromanian
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin ōrō. Compare Daco-Romanian ura, urez.
Verb
or first-singular present indicative (past participle uratã)
- to pray
Synonyms
Related terms
Basque
Alternative forms
Etymology
1103; variant of hor, from Proto-Basque *hoŕ. Mostly replaced by zakur.
Pronunciation
Noun
or anim
Declension
indefinite | singular | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
absolutive | or | ora | orak |
ergative | orek | orak | orek |
dative | ori | orari | orei |
genitive | oren | oraren | oren |
comitative | orekin | orarekin | orekin |
causative | orengatik | orarengatik | orengatik |
benefactive | orentzat | orarentzat | orentzat |
instrumental | orez | oraz | orez |
inessive | orengan | orarengan | orengan |
locative | — | — | — |
allative | orengana | orarengana | orengana |
terminative | orenganaino | orarenganaino | orenganaino |
directive | orenganantz | orarenganantz | orenganantz |
destinative | orenganako | orarenganako | orenganako |
ablative | orengandik | orarengandik | orengandik |
partitive | orik | — | — |
prolative | ortzat | — | — |
Synonyms
Further reading
- “or”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], Euskaltzaindia
- “or”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005
Catalan
Chemical element | |
---|---|
Au | |
Previous: platí (Pt) | |
Next: mercuri (Hg) |
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin aurum, from Proto-Italic *auzom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂é-h₂us-o- (“glow”), from *h₂ews- (“to dawn, become light, become red”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central, Valencia) [ˈɔr]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) (Menorca) [ˈɔr], (Mallorca) [ˈɔ]
Audio (Valencian) (file)
Noun
or m (plural ors)
Derived terms
French
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle French or, from Old French or, from Latin aurum, from Proto-Italic *auzom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂é-h₂us-o- (“glow”), from *h₂ews- (“to dawn, become light, become red”).
Noun
or m (plural ors)
Derived terms
- à prix d’or
- âge d’or
- bouton d’or
- but en or
- Côte d’Or
- en or
- franc comme l’or
- la parole est d’argent, le silence est d’or
- le silence est d’or
- livre d’or
- louis d’or
- médaille d’or
- mine d’or
- noces d’or
- nombre d’or
- or blanc
- or mussif
- or noir
- pont d’or
- poule aux œufs d’or
- rouler sur l’or
- ruée vers l’or
- se faire des couilles en or
- tout ce qui brille n’est pas or
- tout l’or du monde
- valoir son pesant d’or
- veau d’or
Related terms
Descendants
- Haitian Creole: lò
See also
Etymology 2
From Old French ore, from Vulgar Latin hā horā, alteration of hāc horā (“(in) this hour”, ablative). Compare Spanish ahora, Portuguese agora.
Adverb
or
Conjunction
or
- yet, however, now, that said, as it happens (introduces the second term in a syllogism)
Usage notes
This is often used to introduce contrasting information (like English however). However, the information need not be contrasting, but can simply be supplemental information that leads to a subsequent conclusion (similar to English as it happens).
Further reading
- “or”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Ido
Etymology
Borrowing from French or, Italian ora and Spanish ahora.
Pronunciation
Conjunction
or
Usage notes
Or expresses not only a sequence of two propositions, but induces a new argument, a further premise, explanation, motive. When the premise (motive) follows the conclusion, nam is used instead.
Italian
Adverb
or (apocopated)
- Apocopic form of ora (“now”), used almost exclusively in the forms or ora (“just now”) and or sono (“ago”).
Derived terms
Anagrams
Japanese
Particle
Middle English
Etymology 1
Inherited from Old English ōr, from Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ, from Proto-Germanic *ōsaz, form Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”).
Pronunciation
Noun
or
Etymology 2
Determiner
or
- (chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland) Alternative form of here (“their”)
Etymology 3
Noun
or
- Alternative form of ore (“honour”)
Etymology 4
Noun
or
- Alternative form of ore (“ore”)
Etymology 5
Determiner
or
- Alternative form of your
Middle French
Alternative forms
- aur (alternate Latinized spelling)
Etymology
From Old French or.
Noun
or m (uncountable)
Descendants
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Noun
or f or m (definite singular ora or oren, indefinite plural orer, definite plural orene)
Synonyms
References
- “or” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Old Norse ǫlr, órir. Akin to English alder.
Noun
or f (definite singular ora, indefinite plural orer, definite plural orene)
or m (definite singular oren, indefinite plural orar, definite plural orane)
Etymology 2
Alternative forms
Preposition
or
- out of
- from
- 1956, Olav H. Hauge, Gjer ein annan mann ei beine:
- Han kom or fjellet, skulde heim, […] .
- He came from the mountain, was heading home […] .
References
- “or” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *ōzô, *ōsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”).
Pronunciation
Noun
ōr n
Descendants
- Middle English: or (early, hapax)
References
- Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “ōr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary[3], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Old French
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Noun
or oblique singular, m (oblique plural ors, nominative singular ors, nominative plural or)
- gold (metal)
- c. 1250, Marie de France, Guigemar:
- En bacins d'or ewe aporterent
- They brought water in basins made of gold
- gold (color)
- (by extension) blond(e) color
Descendants
Etymology 2
See ore.
Adverb
or
- Alternative form of ore
Old Frisian
Pronunciation
Adjective
ōr
- Old West Frisian form of ōther
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Romanian
Pronunciation
Verb
(ele/ei) or (modal auxiliary, third-person plural form of vrea, used with infinitives to form presumptive tenses)
- (they) might
Verb
or (modal auxiliary, ? form of avea, used with ? to form ? tenses)
- (informal, sometimes proscribed) Variation of o in the third person plural.
- Or să vină într-un minut.
- They will come in a minute.
Adverb
or
- Alternative form of ori
Romansch
Alternative forms
Etymology
Noun
or m
Scots
Etymology
A variant of ere, obsolete in modern English.
Conjunction
or
- before or until (only in certain senses)
- It'll nae be lang or A gang ma holiday.- It'll not be long until/ before I go on holiday
Usage notes
Not archaic, but rare amongst young people.
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology
Possibly from Old Irish amar (“song, singing”). See òran.
Noun
or m (genitive singular ora, plural ora or orthachan or orrachan or orthannan)
Synonyms
Verb
or (past dh’or, future oridh, verbal noun oradh, past participle orte)
Swedish
Etymology
Related to orna (“moldy, spoiled by mites”), Danish oret, of obscure ultimate origin. Compare oren (“impure, dirty, unclean, rotten”).[1]
Noun
or n
Usage notes
Popular as a crossword entry.
Declension
Declension of or | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | or | oret | or | oren |
Genitive | ors | orets | ors | orens |
See also
- kvalster (“mite”)
References
Anagrams
Tocharian A
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *dóru, with unexplained loss of initial */d/. Compare Tocharian B or.
Noun
or n
Tocharian B
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *dóru, with unexplained loss of initial */d/. Compare Tocharian A or.
Noun
or n
Related terms
- ārwa (from plural)
Yola
Conjunction
or
- Alternative form of ar
- 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 78:
- Wich ad wough bethther kwingokee or baagchoosee vursth?
- Whether had we better churn or bake first?
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 9, page 88:
- Na, now or neveare! w' cry't t' Tommeen,
- Nay, now or never! we cry'd to Tommy,
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 11, page 88:
- Up caame ee ball, an a dap or a kewe
- Up came the ball, and a tap or a shove
- 1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 4, page 104:
- Hea pryet ich mought na ha chicke or hen,
- He prayed I might not have chicken nor hen,
References
- Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867
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