Word Study
other
CIDE DICTIONARY
other, conj. [See Or.].
Either; -- used with other or or for its correlative (as either . . . or are now used). [1913 Webster]
"Other of chalk, other of glass." [1913 Webster]
other, pron. & a. [AS. ; akin to OS. ā, , D. & G. ander, OHG. andar, Icel. annarr, Sw. annan, Dan. anden, Goth. an, Skr. antara: cf. L. alter; all orig. comparatives: cf. Skr. anya other. Alter.].
- Different from that which, or the one who, has been specified; not the same; not identical; additional; second of two. [1913 Webster]"Each of them made other for to win." [1913 Webster]"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." [1913 Webster]
- Not this, but the contrary; opposite; as, the other side of a river. [1913 Webster]
- Alternate; second; -- used esp. in connection with every; as, every other day, that is, each alternate day, every second day. [1913 Webster]
- Left, as opposed to right. [1913 Webster]"
Other is a correlative adjective, or adjective pronoun, often in contrast withone ,some ,that ,this , etc.
The
one shall be taken, and theother left.Matt. xxiv. 41.
And
some fell among thorns . . . butother fell into good ground.Matt. xiii. 7, 8.
It is also used, by ellipsis, with a noun, expressed or understood.
To write
this , or to design theother .Dryden.
It is written with the indefinite article as one word, another; is used with each, indicating a reciprocal action or relation; and is employed absolutely, or eliptically for other thing, or other person, in which case it may have a plural.
The fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to
others .Ps. xlix. 10.
If he is trimming,
others are true.Thackeray.
Other is sometimes followed by but, beside, or besides; but oftener by than.
No
other but such a one as he.Coleridge.
Other lordsbeside thee have had dominion over us.Is. xxvi. 13.
For
other foundation can no man laythan that is laid.1 Cor. iii. 11.
The whole seven years of . . . ignominy had been little
other than a preparation for this very hour.Hawthorne. "A distaff in her other hand she had." [1913 Webster]"Bind my hair up: as 't was yesterday?
No, nor t' other day." [1913 Webster]
other, adv.
Otherwise. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
other, adj., n. or pron., & adv.
--adj.
1 not the same as one or some already mentioned or implied; separate in identity or distinct in kind (other people; use other means; I assure you, my reason is quite other).
2 a further; additional (a few other examples). b alternative of two (open your other eye) (cf. every other).
3 (prec. by the) that remains after all except the one or ones in question have been considered, eliminated, etc. (must be in the other pocket; where are the other two?; the other three men left).
4 (foll. by than) apart from; excepting (any person other than you).
--n. or pron. (orig. an ellipt. use of the adj., now with pl. in -s)
1 an additional, different, or extra person, thing, example, etc. (one or other of us will be there; some others have come) (see also ANOTHER, each other).
2 (in pl.; prec. by the) the ones remaining (where are the others?).
--adv. (usu. foll. by than) disp. otherwise (cannot react other than angrily).
--adj.
1 not the same as one or some already mentioned or implied; separate in identity or distinct in kind (other people; use other means; I assure you, my reason is quite other).
2 a further; additional (a few other examples). b alternative of two (open your other eye) (cf. every other).
3 (prec. by the) that remains after all except the one or ones in question have been considered, eliminated, etc. (must be in the other pocket; where are the other two?; the other three men left).
4 (foll. by than) apart from; excepting (any person other than you).
--n. or pron. (orig. an ellipt. use of the adj., now with pl. in -s)
1 an additional, different, or extra person, thing, example, etc. (one or other of us will be there; some others have come) (see also ANOTHER, each other).
2 (in pl.; prec. by the) the ones remaining (where are the others?).
--adv. (usu. foll. by than) disp. otherwise (cannot react other than angrily).
Idiom
no other archaic nothing else (I can do no other). of all others out of the many possible or likely (on this night of all others). on the other hand see HAND. the other day (or night or week etc.) a few days etc. ago (heard from him the other day). other-directed governed by external circumstances and trends. other half colloq. one's wife or husband. the other place Brit. joc. Oxford University as regarded by Cambridge, and vice versa. other ranks soldiers other than commissioned officers. the other thing esp. joc. an unexpressed alternative (if you don't like it, do the other thing). other things being equal if conditions are or were alike in all but the point in question. the other woman a married man's mistress. the other world see WORLD. someone (or something or somehow etc.) or other some unspecified person, thing, manner, etc.
Usage
In this sense otherwise is standard except in less formal use.
Etymology
OE other f. Gmc
THESAURUS
other
accessory, accident, accidental, added, addendum, addition, additional, adjunct, alien, ancillary, another, apart, appendage, appurtenance, autre chose, auxiliary, collateral, contingency, contingent, contributory, detached, different story, different thing, disconnected, discrete, disjunct, disparate, disrelated, dissimilar, dissociated, distant, divergent, diverse, else, exotic, extra, extraneous, farther, foreign, fresh, further, happenstance, incidental, incommensurable, incomparable, independent, inessential, insular, irrelative, isolated, mere chance, more, new, no such thing, nonessential, not that sort, not the same, not the type, not-self, of a sort, of another sort, of sorts, other than, otherwise, outlandish, peculiar, plus, quite another thing, rare, removed, renewed, secondary, segregate, separate, separated, something else, something else again, spare, special, strange, subsidiary, sui generis, superaddition, supernumerary, supplement, supplemental, supplementary, surplus, ulterior, unaffiliated, unalike, unallied, unassociated, unconnected, unequal, unessential, unique, unlike, unrelatable, unrelatedROGET THESAURUS
other
Difference
N difference, variance, variation, variety, diversity, dissimilarity, disagreement, disparity, distinction, contradistinction, alteration, modification, permutation, moods and tenses, nice distinction, fine distinction, delicate distinction, subtle distinction, shade of difference, nuance, discrimination, differentia, different thing, something else, apple off another tree, another pair of shoes, horse of a different color, this that or the other, differing, different, diverse, heterogeneous, multifarious, polyglot, distinguishable, dissimilar, varied, modified, diversified, various, divers, all manner of, all kinds of, variform, daedal, other, another, not the same, unequal, unmatched, widely apart, poles apart, distinctive, characteristic, discriminative, distinguishing, incommensurable, incommensurate, differently, il y a fagots et fagots.For further exploring for "other" in Webster Dictionary Online
