ever

== English == === Alternative forms === euer (obsolete) e'er, ev'r (poetic) eva, evah, eva', evuh, iver, ivver (dialectal) === Etymology === From Middle English ever, from Old English ǣfre, originally a phrase whose first element undoubtedly consists of Old English ā (“ever, always”) + in (“in”) + an element possibly from feorh (“life, existence”) (dative fēore). Compare Old English ā tō fēore (“ever in life”), Old English feorhlīf (“life”). Sense 5 of the adverb was likely formed by association with never, which also carries the meaning of did not in colloquial Singaporean and Malaysian English. Also, compare Chinese 有 … 過 / 有 … 过 (yǒu ... guò / jau5 ... gwo3, “has […] before”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛvə/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛvɚ/ Rhymes: -ɛvə(ɹ) Hyphenation: ev‧er === Adverb === ever (not comparable) (formal or archaic) Always, frequently, forever. Continuously, constantly, all the time (for the complete duration). At any time. (informal) As intensifier following an interrogative word. (Manglish, Singlish) Indicates experiential aspect, once; has or have (done something) before. ==== Synonyms ==== (always): See Thesaurus:forever (at any time): (in any way): (intensifier): See Thesaurus:the dickens ==== Antonyms ==== (antonym(s) of “always”): See Thesaurus:never ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → German: ever ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === ever (not comparable) (epidemiology) Occurring at any time, occurring even but once during a timespan. === Determiner === ever (dialectal and informal) Shortening of every === References === “ever”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. Mian Lian Ho; Irene F. H. Wong (January 2003), “The use of ever in Singapore English”, in World Englishes, volume 20, number 1, →DOI, pages 79–87 === Anagrams === Vere, veer == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch ēver, from Old Dutch *evur, from Proto-West Germanic *ebur. Cognate with Latin aper, Proto-Slavic *veprь (“wild boar”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈeː.vər/ Hyphenation: ever Rhymes: -eːvər === Noun === ever m (plural evers, diminutive evertje n) wild boar (Sus scrofa) Synonyms: everzwijn, wild zwijn ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Anagrams === erve, veer, vere, vree == German == === Etymology === Borrowed from English ever. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɛvɐ/ === Adverb === ever (colloquial, originally youth slang) ever (with superlative) Synonym: aller Zeiten === Further reading === “ever” in Duden online == Middle English == === Alternative forms === evre, evir, afre, er, are === Etymology === From Old English ǣfre. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɛːvər/, /ˈɛvər/ === Adverb === ever ever ==== Descendants ==== English: ever Scots: evire, evir Yola: eyver, e'er, ere ==== References ==== “ē̆ver, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. == Norwegian Bokmål == === Verb === ever present of eve === Anagrams === ever, reve, veer == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Alternative forms === evor (non-standard since 2012) === Noun === ever f indefinite plural of eve indefinite plural of eva (non-standard since 2012) === Anagrams === erve, ever, reve, vere