Etimology
From Middle English ells, elles, from Old English elles (“other, otherwise, different”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljas, from Proto-Germanic *aljas (“of another, of something else”), genitive of *aljaz (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élyos, from *h₂el- (“other”). Cognate with Old Frisian elles (“other”), Old High German elles, ellies (“other”), Danish eller (“or”), Danish ellers (“otherwise”), Swedish eljes, eljest (“or else, otherwise”), Norwegian elles (“else, otherwise”), Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌹𐍃 (aljis, “other”), Latin alius (“other, another”), Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos), Arcadocypriot αἶλος (aîlos), modern Greek αλλιώς (alliós, “otherwise, else”).
adjective
else (not comparable)
(postpositive, used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.
Examples
The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?
Prospero:Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. Follow me;Hark what thou else shalt do me.
As with most else in society, early Americans believed that health and healing were in God's hand.
adverb
else (not comparable)
(usually follows interrogative adverbs) Otherwise, if not.
Examples
How else can it be done?
I'm busy Friday; when else works for you?
The crust of ice on the else rippling brook was so transparent, and so thin in texture, that the lively water might of its own free will have stopped—in Tom’s glad mind it had—to look upon the lovely morning.
Related words
synonyms
otherwise
conjunction
else
For otherwise; or else.
Examples
Then the Wronskian of f and g must be nonzero, else they could not be linearly independent.
He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.