Also

adv. Forms: 1 all swa, al swá, (WS. eall swá, eal swá), 2 alswe. North. 3–7 alswa, 5 allswa, alsswa, 5–6 alsway, 5–7 alsua, alsuay, 4–6 alsa. South. 2–3 al swo, 3–5 al so, 5–7 all so, 4– also. Contr. (north. and midl.) 4 alse, (alce), 3–7 als, (6 alls). [comb. of ALL = altogether, wholly + SO (OE. al + swá). Cf. Ger. also, Du. alzoo. Orig. an emphasized expansion of so (cf. al-though, all one, all the same, al-together), and used in all the historical senses of SO, demonstrative, antecedent, and relative. It was, first as a relative, and then as antecedent, shortened through alsĕ (ase), als, to AS, which now always fulfils the relative function, and shares with the original so the antecedent function; thus, as good as this, not so good as that. As a demonstrative, its force has been weakened from wholly so, just so, through in the same way, likewise, to eke, too. For this weakened sense there was in the 15th c. a tendency, developed in the north into an established usage, to employ the weakened form alse, als, but this has been resisted in standard English, where the full also is retained in this, now the only current sense. Not common in 16th c.; Shaks., according to Schmidt, has it only 22 times. See AS.]

  A.  Demonstrative.

  † 1.  Wholly so, or quite so; just, or even so; in this or that very manner, even thus. Obs.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 109. Alswo ure helende is almihtin god, and nis non oðer bute he.

c. 1220.  Hali Meid., 13. Alswa deð meidenhad meidenes cwike flesch wiðute wemmunge halt.

c. 1230.  Ancr. R., R. 24. Et alle þe oþre tiden, also biginnen & also enden.

c. 1305.  Judas, in E. E. Poems (1862), 111. Also he endede his lyfe.

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., III. iii. 110. Hys Land callyd was Hunia, Hunys his Men was callyd alsua.

  † 2.  In the very manner of something else; in like manner, in the same way, likewise, similarly (passing in later times into 3). Obs.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 5. Al þat folc eode þar ford to processiun … and in al swa.

1297.  R. Glouc., 319. An byleuede hym þer al nyȝt, & al hys ost al so.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 474. Tak þou þanne my gode stede … & eke my scheld al-so.

c. 1400.  Apol. for Loll., 29. And so it semeth al so to me.

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., IX. xiv. 82. And uþir Gentillis … Of his Kyn and his House alswa.

1428.  in Heath, Grocers’ Comp., 5. Alsoe the cres-table on the seide north syde of the halle was maad and layd on.

1513.  Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 8. This yeare allso … Te Deum was sungen.

1535.  Coverdale, Job ii. 1. When the seruauntes of God came & stode before the Lorde, Sathan came also amonge them, and stode before him.

1611.  Bible, Mark i. 38. Let vs goe into y^e next townes, that I may preach there also.

1710.  Steele, Tatler, No. 55, ¶ 5. Some Forces are also posted at Taloir.

  3.  As a further point, item, or circumstance tending in the same direction; further, in addition, besides, as well, too; taking the place of OE. éac, EKE.

  † α.  in form als. Obs.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 867. Ðat hird he folȝed als to ðan.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron., 218. And Sir Hugh Bigote als with þe erle fled he.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1377. Þe bourȝ watȝ so brod & so bigge alce.

1352.  Minot, Poems, 4. Thare was crakked many a crowne Of wild Scottes, and alls of tame.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Frankl. T., 870. The sorwe of Dorigen he tolde hym als [v.r. alse].

1470.  Harding, Chron., xxxi. Sixe temples he made, in Cambre & Logres als.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., I. ix. 18. Als Una earnd her traveill to renew.

c. 1603.  James I., Chorus Ven., 31, in Farr’s S. P., 3. With viols, gitterne, cistiers als.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, III. App. liv. Als see whose lovely friendship you decline.

  β.  in form also (northern alswa).

[1382.  Wyclif, John viii. 19. If ȝe wisten me, perauenture and ȝe schulden wite my father.] Ibid. (1388), Ȝe schulden knowe also my fadir [1526 Tindale, Ye shuld have knowen my father also].

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., 186. Oure lantarnes take with us alsway.

1570.  Ascham, Scholem., I. (Arb.), 49. By his father and mothers also consent.

1582–8.  Hist. James VI. (1804), 187. They not only relaxt him, bot alswa my Lord Heries.

1588.  A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 37. Grante me alsua, o heauenlie father, thy grace.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. iv. 459. Not in Words onely, but in Woes also.

1611.  Bible, John xii. 18. For this cause the people also met him.

c. 1720.  Prior, Engl. Ballad, 53. With ekes and alsos tack thy strain.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 213. The declaration of Charles dispensed only with penal laws. The declaration of James dispensed also with all religious tests.

1857.  Buckle, Civiliz., i. 2. Great attention has been paid to the history of legislation, also to that of religion. Ibid., I. vii. 374. The opposition was not only futile, but it was also injurious.

  B.  Antecedent or correlative, with rel. so, also, alse, als, as. Obs., represented by AS, SO, q.v.

  † 1.  In the very way (in which something is done); so, as. Obs.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3436. Als he redde, al-so gan it ben.

1256.  Procl. Henry III. Al swo al se hit is biforen iseid.

  † 2.  In the same degree (in which some other attribute is); so, as. Obs.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1238. Al-so fer so a boȝe mai ten.

c. 1320.  Seuyn Sages (W.), 569. Al so sone so he mighte.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XXII. 440. Trauaileþ … for a tretour al-so sore As for a trewe tydy man.

c. 1410.  N. Love, Bonaventura’s Mirr. (Gibbs MS.), xl. 88. Also mykyll as þow may.

  C.  Relative and conjunctive. (In this use alswá, also took the place of OE. swá, and was very early weakened to alse, als, AS, q.v.)

  † 1.  In what manner, in the way that (a thing is done); as. Obs. † 2. To what extent, in the degree that (an attribute is); as. Obs.

c. 1175.  Cotton Hom., 217. Alswo sanctus augustinus cweð.

1205.  Layam., 468. To libben al swa þat wilde swin [1250 al so þe wilde swin]. Ibid., 69. Al swa þe boc spekeð [1250 as þe bokes speke].

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 475. Al-so he mistaȝte, also he schet.

a. 1300.  Floriz & Bl., 803. A kinedom Also long and also brod Also eure ȝet þi fader ibod.

[c. 1350.  in Dom. Arch., II. 31. When it was wrought als it sould be. Ibid. (1458), III. 42. Werkemen als wise as they coude fynde any.]

  † 3.  with subjunct. As though, as if. Obs.

a. 1300.  Floriz & Bl., 326. Ber wiþ þe square and schauntillun Also þu were a gud Mascun.

c. 1410.  N. Love, Bonaventura’s Mirr. (Gibbs MS.), xxxix. 86. I haue ouercome þe world Alse who seyth And so schulle ȝe.