adv. Forms: 1–6 elles, (2 helles, Orm. elless, 3–4 ? el(le, 4 eles), 4 ellez, 4–5 ellus, 4–6 ellis, -ys, (4 hellis), 4–7 ells, els, 6– else [OE. ęlles = OHG. elles, alles, OSw. äljes (Sw. eljest), adverbial use of the genit. case neuter (= Goth. aljis:—OTeut. *aljeso) of OTeut. *aljo- other (whence OE. ęl- in compounds: see ELELENDISH) = L. alius.
Senses 1 and 2 appear to arise from phrases in which the word retained its original force as an adj. used absol.; senses 3–5 are prob. strictly adverbial genitives.]
1. A synonym of other, used in connection with indef., rel., or interrog. pronouns, or with words or phrases equivalent to any of these, such as anything, nothing, everything, anybody, some one; also with all (absol.), much, little, a great deal. (In mod. language else follows the pronominal word or phrase.) In this use else, like its synonym other, admits contextually of two different interpretations: e.g., something else may mean ‘something in addition’ to what is mentioned, or ‘something as an alternative or a substitute.’ In the former case else may be replaced by besides, further, more; in the latter case it may sometimes be rendered by different, instead, with that exception, etc. Often (like other) followed by but (see BUT 5 b.) or than.
In OE. elles, as thus used, admits of being construed, in accordance with its etymology, as a neut. adj. in gen. case; e.g., áwiht elles (aught else) is lit. ‘aught of other,’ cf. áwuht gódes (Metr. Boeth. xxv. 59) lit. ‘anything of good’; also Lat. quid novi, amari aliquid, Fr. quelquechose de bon. The extension of this construction seen in phrases like anyone else, who else, etc., and in the examples under 1 b, may be compared with Fr. il n’y a personne de blessé; voilà trois hommes de mort, etc. It is however probable that even in OE. the consciousness of the genitival character of else was already obscured; and from the standpoint of mod. usage, it is hard to say whether the word should be regarded as an adj. in concord with the words that from the point of view of historical grammar would be said to ‘govern’ it, or whether it should be classed as an adverb.
a. 1000. Seafarer (Gr.), 46. Ne biþ him to hearpan hyge … ne ymbe owiht elles nefne [etc.].
c. 1200. Ormin, 9304. Nohht elless ne nohht mare Þann þatt tatt ȝuw iss sett.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 4096. Alle elles he driuen in deades weph.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13471 (Cott.). Þis he said … To fand him and nathing elles.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1550. For to haf wonnen hym to woȝe, what-so scho þoȝt ellez.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1072. Þe world … es noght elles, Bot þe maners of men þat þar-in dwelles.
1532. Hervet, trans. Xenophon’s Househ. (1768), 55. Shall he nede any thynge elles.
1535. Coverdale, Zeph. ii. 15. I am, and there is els none.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., Ep. Ded. 6. Were there nothing else to commend Religion to the minds of men.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, II. 38. What do they else, but scrape and scramble … for these things?
1705. Addison, Italy, Pref. Antiquities that no Body else has spoken of.
1842. Tennyson, Audley Court. Emilia, fairer than all else but thou, For thou art fairer than all else that is.
1879. Stainer, Music of Bible, 2. Singing is little else than a highly beautiful speaking.
b. In the same sense, referring to a sb., chiefly preceded by an adj. correlative with one of the pronouns, etc., mentioned in 1. Formerly common; now only poet. or arch.
Modern usage permits us to say ‘Have you seen anybody else?’ ‘have you read anything else?’ because body and thing have lost their substantival force; but not ‘Have you seen any soldier else?’ ‘have you read any book else?’
971. Blickl. Hom., 39. Hwylc beren mænde he þonne elles buton heofona rice?
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 1017. Þo bostful dedeus … Schal ȝou procre to pryde & to no profit ellus.
1538. Bale, God’s Promises, in Dodsley (1780), I. 25. The adders ded stynge other wycked persones els In wonderfull numbre.
1575. Vautrouillier, Luther on Ep. Gal., 87 b. Sharpe chidings & bitter words are as necessary in euery kind of life, as any other vertue els.
1613. Purchas, Pilgr., Descr. India (1864), 19. Hee is Lord of all nor hath any else possession of any thing, but at the will of the King.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., XVII. 186/261. By force, She kept his person from all else recourse.
1803. Wordsworth, Airey-Force Valley, Wks. VI. 33. Where all things else are still and motionless.
1827. Pollok, Course T., X. This silence … Was now forgot, and every silence else.
† c. elliptically. Something, anything else; ‘otherwise.’ Obs.
1525. Tale of the Basyn, 2, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 44. Summe byn trew and sum byn ellis.
1571. in W. H. Turner, Select Rec. Oxford, 339. Noe freman of the Cytie, beyng baker or els.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 276. Bastards, and else.
d. Forming a quasi-compound sb. with inflected genitive: Somebody (anybody, everybody, some one, any one, every one) else’s. Very common colloq.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 9 Dec. My … pleasure was just the same as yesterday, and no more, nor anybody else’s about us.
1860. Sat. Rev., IX. 12/1. A clergyman who is inclined to misconduct himself will prefer to do so in somebody else’s parish.
Mod. If it be not my business, it is nobody else’s.
2. Subjoined to one of the advbs. or adverbial expressions correlative with the pronouns, etc., mentioned in 1: = ‘in (some, any, what, etc.) other manner, place or time.’
c. 1200. Ormin, 8471. Seldenn owwhær elless.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. vii. 32. Groundid sumwhere ellis.
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 19 § 11. Wher he then shalbe most conversaunte & no wher elles.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par., Pref. 2. Are than and neuer els.
1827. Pollok, Course T., III. Sinks—where could he else?—to endless woe.
1878. Morley, Crit. Misc., Ser. I. 199. Here more than anywhere else you need to give the tools to him who can handle them.
† 3. a. In a different manner, by other means. Obs.
Beowulf, 2520 (Gr.). Gif ic wiste hu wið ðam aʓlæcean elles ic meahte ȝylpe wið gripan.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., 38. Aliter, elles.
c. 1200. Ormin, Ded. 107. He ne maȝȝ nohht elless Onn Ennglish writtenn rihht te word.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. II. 174. Þe same mesure þat ȝe meteþ amys oþer ellys.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. i. in Ashm. (1652), 148. For Bodies ells may not be alterat naturally.
† b. In another direction; = elsewhither. Obs.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2139. Of lond ichil elles fare.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. ii. 125. Since the substance of your perfect selfe is else deuoted, I am but a shadow.
† c. At another time, or at other times. Hence, Already, formerly. Obs. exc. dial.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 89. In lentene, and elles.
c. 1400. Maundev., xi. 125. On the Saturday, hyt renneth faste; and alle the Wooke elles, hyt stondeth stylle.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. vi. 136. Contrar hys kene dartis ellis stand haue we.
1597. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 1491. Did he not els, quod he, consent the cherrie for to pow?
1691. Ray, N. C. Words, 24. I have done that else, i. e. already.
Mod. Sc. Have you come back else?
4. In another case, under other circumstances; otherwise, on any other supposition; if not.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. vi. 1. Elles næbbe ʓe mede mid eowrum Fæder þe on heofenum ys.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 111. Elles ne bið his rixlunge ne fest ne lonsum.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3072. Beter ist laten hem vt-pharen, Al sal egipte elles for-faren.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 451. El [v.r. elles] yt were amys.
c. 1400. Maundev., xxii. 241. And elle he rytt in a Charett with 4 Wheles.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 19. Strangle her, els she sure will strangle thee.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 89. The land certainly had surfeted thm, and vomited them out else.
1765. H. Walpole, Otranto, v. (1798), 80. It comes to warn your highness; why should it appear to me else?
1837. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (ed. 3), I. v. 115. Else how should any one be saved?
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 115. Boughs above, Darken, deform the path, else sun would streak.
b. preceded by or.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9715. Or ells agh dom be cald a-gain.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 723. Bot he com þyder ryȝt as a chylde, Oþer ellez neuer more com þer-inne.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 480. Oþers elles Satan him-self sente hem fro hell.
c. 1440. Generydes, 2732. The helm was sure, or ellys he had hym slayn.
1555. Tract, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xliv. 126. Make your hearts pure or els your prayers are sin.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 208. Speak fair words, or else be mute.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. xlviii. 13. Annot. 249/2. Or els it will be impossible to number them exactly.
1820. Keats, St. Agnes, xii. Follow me, child, or else these stones will be thy bier.
1872. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 323. The tunnel should be owned by the mines … or else it should be constructed upon some agreement.
c. idiomatically. = ‘If it is not believed.’ Now rare or dial.
1590. Greene, Orl. Fur. (1599), 28. I am Orgalio, Aske all these people else.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. i. 108. The fire is dead with griefe, See else your selfe.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, II. 108. Shew her else, Madam.
1809. Parkins, Culpepper’s Eng. Physic Enl., 245. St. Peter being the greater Apostle, ask the Pope else.
d. qualifying an adj. rhetorical.
1800–24. Campbell, Ode Burns, iii. Love … The choicest sweet of Paradise, In life’s else bitter cup distill’d.
1839. De Quincey, Recoll. Lakes, Wks. II. 222. Carrying the reader fluently along the else monotonous recurrences.
1871. Hawthorne, Sept. Felton (1879), 191. To wander with her through places else so desolate.
† 5. quasi-conj. If only, provided that, so long as. Obs. (Cf. Ger. anders in same sense.)
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 466. Þe rauen … reches ful lyttel How alle fodez þer fare, ellez he fynde mete.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 215. Ellez þou wyl diȝt me þe dom to dele hym an oþer.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, St. Paulus, 903. Ellis þat till our saweoure Þe will of þe mane knawyne be.
