and

See also: And, AND, ånd, -and, and-, -ând, and Appendix:Variations of "and"

English

Pronunciation

• (stressed) enPR: ănd, ĕnd IPA^(key): /ænd/, /ɛnd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænd, -ɛnd
• (unstressed) enPR: ən(d) IPA^(key): /ənd/, /ən/, /ɛn/, /ɛnd/, /n̩d/, /n̩/

• Audio (US) (ham and eggs)

  (file)

• (unstressed or, for some speakers, stressed) Homophone: end

Etymology 1

From Middle English and, an, from Old English and, ond, end, from Proto-Germanic *andi, *anþi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“facing opposite, near, in front of, before”). Cognate with Scots an (“and”), North Frisian en (“and”), West Frisian en, in (“and”), Low German un (“and”), Dutch en (“and”), German und (“and”), Danish end (“but”), Swedish än (“yet, but”), Icelandic enn (“still, yet”), Albanian edhe (“and”) (dialectal ênde, ênne), ende (“still, yet, therefore”), Latin ante (“opposite, in front of”), and Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “opposite, facing”).

Alternative forms

• an'
• 'n' (n)

Conjunction

and

1. As a coordinating conjunction; expressing two elements to be taken together or in addition to each other.
   1. Used simply to connect two noun phrases, adjectives or adverbs. [from 8^th c.]
      • c. 1430 (reprinted 1888), Thomas Austin, ed., Two Fifteenth-century Cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with Extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55 [Early English Text Society, Original Series; 91], London: N. Trübner & Co. for the Early English Text Society, volume I, OCLC 374760, page 11:

        Soupes dorye. — Take gode almaunde mylke […] caste þher-to Safroun an Salt […]

      • 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act V Scene 1

        Sweet lady, you have given me life and living; […]

      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Genesis 1:1:

        In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

      • 1817, Jane Austen, Persuasion:

        as for Mrs. Smith, she had claims of various kinds to recommend her quickly and permanently.

      • 2011, Mark Townsend, The Guardian, 5 November:

        ‘The UKBA has some serious explaining to do if it is routinely carrying out such abusive and unlawful inspections.’

   2. Simply connecting two clauses or sentences. [from 8^th c.]
      • 1991, Jung Chang, Wild Swans:

        When she saw several boys carrying a huge wooden case full of porcelain, she mumbled to Jinming that she was going to have a look, and left the room.

      • 2011, Helena Smith & Tom Kington, The Guardian, 5 November:

        "Consensus is essential for the country," he said, adding that he was not "tied" to his post and was willing to step aside.

   3. Introducing a clause or sentence which follows on in time or consequence from the first. [from 9^th c.]
      • 1996, David Beasley, Chocolate for the Poor:

        ‘But if you think you can get it, Christian, you're a fool. Set one foot upcountry and I'll kill you.’

      • 2004, Will Buckley, The Observer:, 22 August:

        One more error and all the good work she had done on Friday would be for nought.

   4. (obsolete) Yet; but. [10^th-17^th c.]
      • 1611, Authorised (King James) Version, Bible, Matthew XXII:

        Hee said, I goe sir, and went not.

   5. Used to connect certain numbers: connecting units when they precede tens (not dated); connecting tens and units to hundreds, thousands etc. (now often omitted in US); to connect fractions to wholes. [from 10^th c.]
      • 1863, Abraham Lincoln, ‘Gettysburg Address’:

        Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal".

      • 1906, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, Chapter 26

        In Chicago these latter were receiving, for the most part, eighteen and a half cents an hour, and the unions wished to make this the general wage for the next year.

      • 1956, Dodie Smith, (title):

        The One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

   6. (now colloquial or literary) Used to connect more than two elements together in a chain, sometimes to stress the number of elements.
      • 1623, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, First Folio, II.2:

        And these does she apply, for warnings and portents, / And euils imminent; and on her knee / Hath begg'd, that I will stay at home to day.

      • 1939, Langley, Ryerson & Woolf, The Wizard of Oz (screenplay):

        Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

   7. Connecting two identical elements, with implications of continued or infinite repetition. [from 10^th c.]
      • 1611, Authorised (King James) Version, Bible, Psalms CXLV:

        I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

      • 2011, Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, 18 March:

        He was at work in a nearby city when the tsunami struck. ‘As soon as I saw it, I called home. It rang and rang, but there was no answer.’

   8. Introducing a parenthetical or explanatory clause. [from 10^th c.]
      • 1918, George W. E. Russell, Prime Ministers and Some Others:

        The word "capable" occurs in Mr. Fisher's Bill, and rightly, because our mental and physical capacities are infinitely varied.

      • 2008, The Guardian, 29 Jan 2008:

        President Pervez Musharraf is undoubtedly sincere in his belief that he, and he alone, can save Pakistan from the twin perils of terrorism and anarchy.

   9. Introducing the continuation of narration from a previous understood point; also used alone as a question: ‘and so what?’.
      • 1611, Authorised (King James) Version, Bible, Revelation XIV:

        And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps […].

      • 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations:

        ‘You take it smoothly now,’ said I, ‘but you were very serious last night, when you swore it was Death.’ ‘And so I swear it is Death,’ said he, putting his pipe back in his mouth […].

      • 1914, Saki, ‘The Lull’, Beasts and Superbeasts:

        ‘And, Vera,’ added Mrs. Durmot, turning to her sixteen-year-old niece, ‘be careful what colour ribbon you wear in your hair […].’

   10. (now regional or somewhat colloquial) Used to connect two verbs where the second is dependent on the first: ‘to’. Used especially after come, go and try. [from 14^th c.]
       • 1817, Jane Austen, Sanditon:

         Beyond paying her a few charming compliments and amusing her with gay conversation, had he done anything at all to try and gain her affection?

       • 1989, James Kelman, A Disaffection:

         Remember and help yourself to the soup! called Gavin.

   11. Introducing a qualitative difference between things having the same name; "as well as other". [from 16^th c.]
       • 1936, The Labour Monthly, vol. XVIII:

         Undoubtedly every party makes mistakes. But there are mistakes and mistakes.

       • 1972, Esquire, vol. LXXVIII:

         "There are managers and there are managers," he tells me. "I'm totally involved in every aspect of Nina's career."

   12. Used to combine numbers in addition; plus (with singular or plural verb). [from 17^th c.]
       • 1791, James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson:

         ‘Nobody attempts to dispute that two and two make four: but with contests concerning moral truth, human passions are generally mixed […].’

       • 1871, Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There:

         ‘Can you do Addition?’ the White Queen asked. ‘What's one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?’

2. (heading) Expressing a condition.
   1. (now US dialectal) If; provided that. [from 13^th c.]
      • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII:

        "Where ys Sir Launcelot?" seyde King Arthure. "And he were here, he wolde nat grucche to do batayle for you."

      • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew XIV:

        Peter answered, and sayde: master, and thou be he, bidde me come unto the on the water.

      • 1958, Shirley Ann Grau, The Hard Blue Sky:

        "And he went slower," Mike said softly, "he go better."

   2. (obsolete) As if, as though. [15^th-17^th c.]
      • 1600, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, I.2:

        I will roare you, and 'twere any Nightingale.

      • Francis Bacon

        As they will set an house on fire, and it were but to roast their eggs.

Quotations

• For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:and.

Usage notes

Usage notes

1. Beginning a sentence with and or other coordinating conjunctions is considered incorrect by classical grammarians arguing that a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence has nothing to connect, but use of the word in this way is very common. The practice will be found in literature from Anglo-Saxon times onwards, especially as an aid to continuity in narrative and dialogue. The OED provides examples from the 9^th century to the 19^th century, including one from Shakespeare’s King John: “Arthur. Must you with hot Irons, burne out both mine eyes? Hubert. Young boy, I must. Arthur. And will you? Hubert. And I will.” It is also used for other rhetorical purposes, especially to denote surprise

   (O John! and you have seen him! And are you really going?—1884 in OED)

   and sometimes just to introduce an improvised afterthought

   (I’m going to swim. And don’t you dare watch—G. Butler, 1983)

   It is, however, poor style to separate short statements into separate sentences when no special effect is needed: I opened the door and I looked into the room (not *I opened the door. And I looked into the room). Combining sentences or starting with in addition or moreover is preferred in formal writing.
2. And is often omitted for contextual effects of various kinds, especially between sequences of descriptive adjectives which can be separated by commas or simply by spaces

   (The teeming jerrybuilt dun-coloured traffic-ridden deafening city—Penelope Lively, 1987)

   And all is a well-established tag added to the end of a statement, as in

   Isn’t it amazing? He has a Ph.D. and all—J. Shute, 1992

   With the nominal meaning “also, besides, in addition”, the use has origins in dialect, as can be seen from the material from many regions given in the English Dialect Dictionary (often written in special ways, e.g., ano', an'-all, an' a'). In many of the examples it seems to lack any perceptible lexical meaning and to be just a rhythmical device to eke out a sentence.

Synonyms

• (used to connect two similar words or phrases): as well as, together with, in addition to
• (informal): &, 'n', +

Translations

See and/translations § Conjunction

Noun

and (plural ands)

1. (music, often informal) In rhythm, the second half of a divided beat.
   • 2006, Goodwin, Gordon, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band: Trumpet, page 51:

     The same goes for measure 42, when you begin the phrase on the and of 1, because that kind of lick can easily bog down the time.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ande, from Old English anda (“grudge, enmity, malice, envy, hatred, anger, zeal, annoyance, vexation; zeal; injury, mischief; fear, horror”) and Old Norse andi (“breath, wind, spirit”); both from Proto-Germanic *anadô (“breath, anger, zeal”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”). Cognate with German Ahnd, And (“woe, grief”), Danish ånde (“breath”), Swedish anda, ande (“spirit, breath, wind, ingenuity, intellect”), Icelandic andi (“spirit”), Albanian ëndë (“pleasure, delight”), Latin animus (“spirit, soul”). Related to onde.

Alternative forms

• aynd, eind, eynd, yane, end

Noun

and (plural ands)

1. (Britain dialectal) Breath.
2. (Britain dialectal) Sea smoke; steam fog.

Etymology 3

From Middle English anden, from Old English andian (“to be envious or jealous, envy”) and Old Norse anda (“to breathe”); both from Proto-Germanic *anadōną (“to breathe, sputter”). Cognate with German ahnden (“to avenge, punish”), Danish ånde (“to breathe”), Swedish andas (“to breathe”), Icelandic anda (“to breathe”). See above.

Alternative forms

• eind, eynd, ein

Verb

and (third-person singular simple present ands, present participle anding, simple past and past participle anded)

1. (Britain dialectal, intransitive) To breathe; whisper; devise; imagine.

Anagrams

• ADN, DAN, DNA, Dan, Dan., NAD, NDA, dan, dna, nad

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Azerbaijani

Other scripts
Cyrillic	анд
Roman	and
Perso-Arabic	آند‎

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *Ānt (“oath”). Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰦‎ (nt), Turkish ant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [and]

Noun

and (definite accusative andı, plural andlar)

1. oath

Declension

Declension of and

	singular	plural
nominative	and	andlar
definite accusative	andı	andları
dative	anda	andlara
locative	andda	andlarda
ablative	anddan	andlardan
definite genitive	andın	andların

Possessive forms of and

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andım	andlarım
sənin (“your”)	andın	andların
onun (“his/her/its”)	andı	andları
bizim (“our”)	andımız	andlarımız
sizin (“your”)	andınız	andlarınız
onların (“their”)	andı or andları	andları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andımı	andlarımı
sənin (“your”)	andını	andlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	andını	andlarını
bizim (“our”)	andımızı	andlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	andınızı	andlarınızı
onların (“their”)	andını or andlarını	andlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andıma	andlarıma
sənin (“your”)	andına	andlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	andına	andlarına
bizim (“our”)	andımıza	andlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	andınıza	andlarınıza
onların (“their”)	andına or andlarına	andlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andımda	andlarımda
sənin (“your”)	andında	andlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	andında	andlarında
bizim (“our”)	andımızda	andlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	andınızda	andlarınızda
onların (“their”)	andında or andlarında	andlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andımdan	andlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	andından	andlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	andından	andlarından
bizim (“our”)	andımızdan	andlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	andınızdan	andlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	andından or andlarından	andlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	andımın	andlarımın
sənin (“your”)	andının	andlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	andının	andlarının
bizim (“our”)	andımızın	andlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	andınızın	andlarınızın
onların (“their”)	andının or andlarının	andlarının

Derived terms

• and içmək (“to take an oath”)

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Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse ǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *anadz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-ti- (“duck”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /and/, [anˀ]

Noun

and c (singular definite anden, plural indefinite ænder)

1. duck
2. canard (false or misleading report or story)

Declension

Declension of and

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	and	anden	ænder	ænderne
genitive	ands	andens	ænders	ændernes

Further reading

• “and” in Den Danske Ordbog

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Estonian

Etymology

From the root of andma. Cognate with Finnish anti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnʲˑt/

Noun

and (genitive anni, partitive andi)

1. offering, gift
2. alms, donation
3. giftedness, talent
4. act of giving

Declension

Declension of and (type paks)

	singular	plural
nominative	and	annid
genitive	anni	andide
partitive	andi	ande / andisid
illative	andi / annisse	andidesse
inessive	annis	andides
elative	annist	andidest
allative	annile	andidele
adessive	annil	andidel
ablative	annilt	andidelt
translative	anniks	andideks
terminative	annini	andideni
essive	annina	andidena
abessive	annita	andideta
comitative	anniga	andidega

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Gothic

Romanization

and

1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌽𐌳

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Livonian

Alternative forms

• (Courland) andõ

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *antadak, from Proto-Uralic *ëmta-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnd/

Verb

and

1. (Salaca) to give

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• ant, an, en, ⁊, &

Etymology

From Old English and, ond, end, from Proto-Germanic *andi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /and/
• (unstressed) IPA^(key): /an/, /ɛn/

Conjunction

and

1. and, and then (connects two elements of a sentence)

   • c. 1200, Ormin, “Dedication”, in Ormulum, lines 1-4:

     Nu broþerr Wallterr broþerr min / Affterr þe flæshess kinde / ⁊ broþerr min i Crisstendom / Þurrh fulluhht ⁊ þurrh trowwþe […]

     Now, brother Walter, my brother / by way of blood relation / and my brother in Christendom / through baptising and through faith […]

     c. 1340, Dan Michel, “Þe oþer Godes Heste”, in Ayenbite of Inwyt:

     Ac þe ilke / þet zuereþ hidousliche be god / oþer by his halȝen / and him to-breȝþ / and zayþ him sclondres / þet ne byeþ naȝt to zigge: þe ilke zeneȝeþ dyadliche […]

     But one who / hideously swears by God / or by his emissaries / and who tears him apart / while saying to him lies / that shouldn't be said: they sin grievously. […]

     c. 1380, Sir Firumbras, lines 4413-4414:

     "Lordes", quaþ Richard, "Buþ noȝt agast, Ac holdeþ forþ ȝour way / an hast & boldeliche doþ ȝour dede […] "

     "Lords", said Richard, "Don't be frightened, but hold your way forwards / and quickly and boldy do your deed […] "

     a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “Apocalips 1:8”, in Wycliffe's Bible:

     Yhe, Amen! Y am alpha and oo, the bigynnyng and the ende, seith the Lord God, that is, and that was, and that is to comynge, almyȝti.

     You, Amen! I am Alpha and O, the beginning and the end, says the Lord God; that is, that was, and that which will come, almighty.

     c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “General Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 1-3:

     Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote /, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote / And bathed every veyne in swich licour […]

     When that April, with its sweet showers / Has pierced March's drought to the root / And bathed every vein in such fluid […]

2. however, yet, but, though. while
3. if, supposing that, whether.
4. (rare) As though, like, in a manner suggesting.

Descendants

• English: and
• Scots: an

References

• “and (conj. (& adv.))” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-14.

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse ǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *anadz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-ti- (“duck”).

Pronunciation

• and

  (file)

Noun

and f or m (definite singular anda or anden, indefinite plural ender, definite plural endene)

1. a duck
2. canard (false or misleading report or story)

Derived terms

• Andeby (“Duckburg”)
• andunge

References

• “and” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnː/, /ɑnd/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse ǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *anadz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-ti- (“duck”). Akin to English ennet.

Noun

and f (definite singular anda, indefinite plural ender, definite plural endene)

1. a duck (waterbird)

Derived terms

• Andeby (“Duckburg”)
• andunge

Etymology 2

Verb

and

1. imperative of anda

References

• “and” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Old English

Alternative forms

• ond, end

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *anda, *andi, probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“facing opposite, near, in front of, before”). Compare Old Frisian and, Old Saxon endi, Old High German unti, Old Norse enn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnd/, [ɒnd]

Conjunction

and

1. and

Synonyms

• ⁊ (symbol)

Descendants

• Middle English: and, an, en
  • Scots: an
  • English: and

Adverb

and

1. even; also

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Old Frisian

Alternative forms

• ande, ende

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *andi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“facing opposite, near, in front of, before”). Compare Old English and, Old Saxon endi, Old High German unti, Old Norse enn.

Conjunction

and

1. and

Descendants

• North Frisian: en
• Saterland Frisian: un
• West Frisian: en, in

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Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /an͈d/

Pronoun

and

1. third-person singular masculine/neuter dative of i: in him, in it
   • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 31b23

     in bélrai .i. is and atá gním tengad isind huiliu labramar-ni

     of speech, i.e. the action of the tongue is in it, in all that we say

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Scots

Conjunction

and

1. Alternative form of an

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse ǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *anadz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énh₂t- (“duck”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /and/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

and c

1. a wild duck

Declension

Declension of and
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	and	anden	änder	änderna
Genitive	ands	andens	änders	ändernas

Related terms

• andfågel
• andjakt
• andmat
• andrake
• andsträck
• andunge
• gräsand

 

See also

• anka (domesticated duck)

References

• and in Svenska Akademiens ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)

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Zealandic

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Noun

and f (plural [please provide])

1. hand

Alternative forms

• 'and