or
Translingual
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)
- (US) IPA(key): /ɔɹ/
Audio (US) (file) - (St. Louis (Missouri)) IPA(key): /ɑɹ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ɔː(ɹ)/
Audio (UK) (file) - Homophones: oar, ore, o'er, awe (non-rhotic accents, rounded lot besides St. Louis [Missouri] English)
- Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
- (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
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Etymology 2
From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above).
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.
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:
Related terms
- Au (chemical symbol for gold)
Translations
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Synonyms
Translations
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Etymology 4
From Late Old English ār, from Old Norse ár. Compare ere.
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, 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
- Huddleston, Rodney (1988) English Grammar: An Outline, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 198–99
Aromanian
Synonyms
- angrec, ngrec
- pricad
- ncljin
- pãlãcãrsescu, pãrãcãlsescu
- rog
Basque
Etymology
1103; variant of hor, from Proto-Basque *hoŕ. Mostly replaced by zakur.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /or/, [o̞r]
Audio (file)
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 | — | — |
Catalan
Chemical element | |
---|---|
Au | |
Previous: platí (Pt) | |
Next: mercuri (Hg) |
Alternative forms
- aur (obsolete)
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
Derived terms
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔʁ/
audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɔʁ
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”).
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
Descendants
- Haitian Creole: lò
See also
- Appendix:Colors
Etymology 2
From Old French ore, from Vulgar Latin hā horā, alteration of hāc horā (“(in) this hour”, ablative). Compare Spanish ahora, Portuguese agora.
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
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔr/
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)
Anagrams
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
- IPA(key): /oːr/
Norwegian Bokmål
Synonyms
References
- “or” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /uːr/
- Homophone: ord
Noun
or f (definite singular ora, indefinite plural orer, definite plural orene)
or m (definite singular oren, indefinite plural orar, definite plural orane)
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
- IPA(key): /oːr/
Descendants
- Middle English: or (early, hapax)
References
- Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “ōr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Old French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɔɾ/
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
Etymology 2
See ore.
Old Frisian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈoːr/
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Romanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [or]
Verb
(ele/ei) or (modal auxiliary, third-person plural form of vrea, used with infinitives to form presumptive tenses)
- (they) might
Romansch
Scots
Etymology
A variant of ere, obsolete in modern English.
Conjunction
or
Usage notes
Not archaic, but rare amongst young people.
Scottish Gaelic
Synonyms
Swedish
Etymology
Related to orna (“moldy, spoiled by mites”), Danish oret, of obscure ultimate origin. Compare oren (“impure, dirty, unclean, rotten”).[1]
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
- “or”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish), 1937
Anagrams
Tocharian A
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *dóru, with unexplained loss of initial */d/. Compare Tocharian B or.
Tocharian B
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *dóru, with unexplained loss of initial */d/. Compare Tocharian A or.
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