"or" meaning in Middle English

See or in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Conjunction

IPA: /ɔr/, /ɔːr/ Forms: ore [alternative], ar [alternative]
Etymology: From ọ̄̆ther and outher. Head templates: {{head|enm|conjunction}} or
  1. or
    Sense id: en-or-enm-conj-cXVRejcL
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Determiner

Head templates: {{head|enm|determiners|altform=1}} or
  1. (chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland) alternative form of here (“their”) Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: here (extra: their)
    Sense id: en-or-enm-det-fYH9qqB2 Categories (other): Early Middle English, Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 0 12 8 29 28 23
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Determiner

Head templates: {{head|enm|determiners|altform=1}} or
  1. alternative form of your Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: your
    Sense id: en-or-enm-det-Y~3ocPZ6
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 6

Noun

IPA: /oːr/
Etymology: Inherited from Old English ōr, from Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ, from Proto-Germanic *ōsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”). Etymology templates: {{glossary|Inherited}} Inherited, {{inh|enm|ang|ōr|||g=|g2=|g3=|id=|lit=|nocat=|pos=|sc=|sort=|tr=|ts=}} Old English ōr, {{inh+|enm|ang|ōr}} Inherited from Old English ōr, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*ōʀ}} Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*ōsaz}} Proto-Germanic *ōsaz, {{inh|enm|ine-pro|*h₃éh₁os|t=mouth}} Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”) Head templates: {{head|enm|nouns}} or
  1. (Early Middle English, hapax legomenon) beginning, start Tags: Early-Middle-English
    Sense id: en-or-enm-noun-6aPwyslj Categories (other): Early Middle English, Middle English hapax legomena, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, West Midland Middle English Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 0 12 8 29 28 23 Disambiguation of West Midland Middle English: 0 18 11 41 21 10
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|nouns|altform=1}} or
  1. alternative form of ore (“honour”) Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: ore (extra: honour)
    Sense id: en-or-enm-noun-VEZEqITm Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 0 12 8 29 28 23
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 4

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|nouns|altform=1}} or
  1. alternative form of ore (“ore”) Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: ore (extra: ore)
    Sense id: en-or-enm-noun-FoBL0QDA Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 0 12 8 29 28 23
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 5
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "or"
          },
          "expansion": "English: or",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: or"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "ar",
            "alts": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "Yola: ar, or, o'",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Yola: ar, or, o'"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "From ọ̄̆ther and outher.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ore",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ar",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "conjunction"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "or"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-conj-cXVRejcL",
      "links": [
        [
          "or",
          "or"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɔr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɔːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ōr",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ōr",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ōr"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English ōr",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*ōʀ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*ōsaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *ōsaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₃éh₁os",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”)",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English ōr, from Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ, from Proto-Germanic *ōsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Early Middle English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English hapax legomena",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 12 8 29 28 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 18 11 41 21 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "West Midland Middle English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "beginning, start"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-noun-6aPwyslj",
      "links": [
        [
          "beginning",
          "beginning"
        ],
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Early Middle English, hapax legomenon) beginning, start"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/oːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "determiners",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "det",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "their",
          "word": "here"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Early Middle English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 12 8 29 28 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of here (“their”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-det-fYH9qqB2",
      "links": [
        [
          "here",
          "here#Middle_English:_their"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland) alternative form of here (“their”)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 4,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "honour",
          "word": "ore"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "0 12 8 29 28 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of ore (“honour”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-noun-VEZEqITm",
      "links": [
        [
          "ore",
          "ore#Middle_English:_honour"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 5,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "ore",
          "word": "ore"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "0 12 8 29 28 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of ore (“ore”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-noun-FoBL0QDA",
      "links": [
        [
          "ore",
          "ore#Middle_English:_ore"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 6,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "determiners",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "det",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "your"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of your"
      ],
      "id": "en-or-enm-det-Y~3ocPZ6",
      "links": [
        [
          "your",
          "your#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English conjunctions",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "or"
          },
          "expansion": "English: or",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: or"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "ar",
            "alts": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "Yola: ar, or, o'",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Yola: ar, or, o'"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "From ọ̄̆ther and outher.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ore",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ar",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "conjunction"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "or"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "or",
          "or"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɔr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɔːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ōr",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ōr",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ōr"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English ōr",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*ōʀ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*ōsaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *ōsaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₃éh₁os",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”)",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English ōr, from Proto-West Germanic *ōʀ, from Proto-Germanic *ōsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃éh₁os (“mouth”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Early Middle English",
        "Middle English hapax legomena"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "beginning, start"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "beginning",
          "beginning"
        ],
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Early Middle English, hapax legomenon) beginning, start"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/oːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
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    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
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  "etymology_number": 3,
  "head_templates": [
    {
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        "2": "determiners",
        "altform": "1"
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      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "det",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "their",
          "word": "here"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Early Middle English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of here (“their”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "here",
          "here#Middle_English:_their"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Early Middle English and West Midland) alternative form of here (“their”)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 4,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "altform": "1"
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      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "honour",
          "word": "ore"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of ore (“honour”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ore",
          "ore#Middle_English:_honour"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 5,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "ore",
          "word": "ore"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of ore (“ore”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ore",
          "ore#Middle_English:_ore"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Midland Middle English"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 6,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "determiners",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "or",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "det",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "your"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of your"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "your",
          "your#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "or"
}

Download raw JSONL data for or meaning in Middle English (5.6kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: Early Middle English, hapax legomenon",
  "path": [
    "or"
  ],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "or",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: Early Middle English, hapax legomenon",
  "path": [
    "or"
  ],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "or",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "wiktionary/179/20240425uppercase_tags",
  "msg": "or/Middle English/noun: invalid uppercase tag Early-Middle-English not in or uppercase_tags",
  "path": [],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "or",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (7cef23e and 3c020d2). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.