Eller

/ˈɛlər/ conjunction

Definition

The Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian word for 'or', used to present alternatives.

Etymology

From Old Norse eðr/eða meaning 'or, otherwise', cognate with English 'other'. The word shows the common Germanic heritage of logical connectives.

Kelly Says

The word 'eller' beautifully demonstrates how Scandinavian languages preserved ancient Germanic logical structures that English lost or changed. It's fascinating that such a fundamental concept—presenting alternatives—varies so little across related languages yet sounds completely different from English 'or'.

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