eher

== German == === Etymology === Chiefly from haplology of Middle High German ērer, from Old High German ēriro, from Proto-Germanic *airizô. Compare Dutch eerder. Likely conflated with Middle High German ēr, a rarer byform of ē (whence modern eh, ehe), from Old High German ēr, from Proto-Germanic *airiz, adverbial form of the above. Cognate with Dutch eer, English ere, Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌹𐍃 (airis). The final /r/ was regularly lost in Late Old High German (cf. da, hie, wo), but survived regionally (chiefly in Central German). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈeːər/, [ˈʔeː.ɐ] === Adverb === eher comparative degree of bald / früh: sooner, earlier Synonym: früher rather fairly, relatively, somewhat; expresses a weakened degree Synonyms: relativ, einigermaßen sooner, more readily, preferably; expresses a preference Synonym: lieber more precisely speaking, in fact, more like; used to replace a word or phrase with another Synonym: vielmehr === Adjective === eher (chiefly colloquial) comparative degree of früh Synonym: früher ==== Related terms ==== ehe, eh erste === See also === ziemlich === Further reading === “eher” in Duden online “eher”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[6] (in German) == Middle High German == === Alternative forms === äher === Etymology === From Old High German ehir, ahir, ahar, from Proto-Germanic *ahaz. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈæhər/, /ˈɛhər/, /ˈehər/ === Noun === eher n (botany, countable) ear (of corn) ==== Declension ==== ==== Descendants ====