Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
både. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
både, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
både in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
både you have here. The definition of the word
både will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
både, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Danish
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Old Norse báðir (“both”), a combination of Proto-Germanic *bai and the demonstrative pronoun þeir, cf. Old English bā þā (English both) and Old High German beide (German beide).
Conjunction
både
- both
- in the combinations både ... og "both ... and" and (proscribed) både ... men også, lit. "both ... but also".
Pronoun
både
- (obsolete) both
1805, Adam Oehlenschlaeger, Vaulundurs Saga:Konning Nidudr ... greb sit Sværd med baade Hænder. ("King Nidudr ... took the sword with both hands.")- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
References
“baade, 4” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog
Etymology 2
From Middle Low German bate, from Proto-Germanic *batô (“improvement”), cognate with Dutch baat (“profit”) and Icelandic bati (“recovery”).
Noun
både c (singular definite båden, plural indefinite båder)
- (archaic) advantage, profit
Declension
References
“baade, 1” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog
Etymology 3
From Middle Low German baten, batten, from Proto-Germanic *batāną (“to improve”), cognate with Dutch baten (“to avail”). Doublet of batte.
Verb
både (imperative båd, infinitive at både, present tense båder, past tense bådede, perfect tense har bådet)
- (dated) to be useful, help
References
“både, 1” in Den Danske Ordbog
“baade, 2” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog
Etymology 4
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
både c
- indefinite plural of båd
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norse bæði.
Conjunction
både
- both
- både ... og - both ... and
References
- “både” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norse báðir, bæði. Akin to English both.
Pronunciation
Conjunction
både
- both
- både ... og - both ... and
References
- “både” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Swedish bāþe, from Old Norse báðir (“both”), from Proto-Germanic *bai, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoh₁. Cognate with English both.
Pronunciation
Conjunction
både
- both; each of (out of two)
Ta med både den lilla och den stora.- Bring both the little one and the big one.
Derived terms
References
- in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)
Further reading
Walloon
Pronunciation
Noun
både f
- jenny (female donkey)
See also