▪ I. each, a. (quasi-pron.)
(iːtʃ)
Forms: α. 1 ǽlc, œ́lc, 2–3 ælc, ælch, 3 alc, alch, 1–2 elc, 2–3 elch, (2 helch, 3 elhc), 2 ach(e, (ec), 3 æche, 3–6 ech(e, 5–6 eich, eyche, eache, 6– each. β. 1 ylc, 3–4 ilc, (3 il), 3–5 ilk(e, (3 Orm. illc, illk), 6– Sc. (see ilk). γ. 2 ulch, 3–4 ilch(e, 5 ylche, 2, 4–5 uch(e, 4–6 ich(e, 5–6 ych(e. δ. 1 ᵹehwilc, -hwelc, -hwylc, 2 iwilch (iwil, iwi), iwulc(h, uwilch, (uwlch, uwil), (3 Orm. iwhillc), 4 uich. ε. 1 ǽᵹ- (œ́ᵹ-, éᵹ-)hwilc, -hwelc, -hwylc, -wylc, 2 aiᵹhwilc, ewilch, eilc, 3 ewc (acc. eulne), 2–4 euch.
[The historical forms inseparable from this word represent three distinct but nearly synonymous words in OE.
1. OE. ǽlc, app. = OFris. ellîk, elk, êk, Du. elk, OHG. eogilîh (MHG. iegelîh, mod.G. jeglich):—WGer. phrase *aiwo(n galîko-z, corresp. to OE. á ᵹel{iacu}c (see a adv., ay, and alike). The phrase may perhaps best be explained as evolved from the adverbial *aiwo(n galîkô ‘ever alike’, = the frequent OHG. eogilîcho. In OE. (as in OFris. and Du.) the second word seems to have lost the prefix ᵹe-, and the i of *á-l{iacu}c, *álic, produced the umlaut in the first syllable. (See, however, 3 below.) The OE. ǽlc with long vowel is perhaps the ancestor of our modern form; but already in the OE. period the vowel was dialectally shortened, and appears as ælc, elc, and ylc. The two former gave rise to such ME. forms as alc(h, ache, elch; the OE. ylc seems to be recorded only in the (Mercian) Vesp. Psalter, but must have been widely diffused, as it became in southern ME. ulch (ü), ilch, in west midland uch (ü), ich, and in east midland and north. ilk, which still survives in north. dial. and in Sc. (In Havelok the form ilc, ilk is occas. reduced to il before a cons.)
2. OE. ᵹehwilc = OHG. gihwelîh (see y- and which). This is the source of early ME. iwilch, iwulch, probably also of uwilch, uich; it is possible also that the 14–15th c. uch(e may be from this source instead of being a continuation of the earlier uch (ü) from OE. ylc. (Layamon writes iwildel, iwidel for iwilc del; similarly the Lambeth Homilies have uwil before cons., and accus. uwilne.)
3. OE. ǽᵹ- (œ́ᵹ-, éᵹ-)hwilc = OHG. eogihwelîh, f. WGer. *aiwo(n, OE. á, ó, ay, always + *gahwalīko-z = OE. ᵹehwilc (see above). (The umlaut is supposed to be due to the i in ᵹi-, earlier form of the prefix ᵹe-.) This word seems to be represented in ME. by the forms ewilc (eulne for *eulcne accus. occurs once in Layamon), euych, eilc, ewc, euch; the forms eich, eyche, in 15–16th c. may possibly in some cases belong to this series rather than to a, to which they are referred above.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
| α c 825 Vesp. Psalter civ. 35 And sloᵹ oelc frumbearn. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. vii. 17 ælc god treow byrð gode wæstmas. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 13 Ic eou wulle werien wið elcne herm. Ibid. 75 Ec of heom wrat..his uers. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 217 Þenche ȝie ælc word of him swete. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Elch pine of helle is fremed on þre fold wise. Ibid. 31 Ðus deuel eggeð ælch man on his herte. Ibid. 91 Elhc cristene man makeð þis dai..processio. Ibid. 99 Eches mannes soule. Ibid. 145 Hie clensede heo seluen of ache synne. c 1205 Lay. 13113 Wende æche oðer þat hit weoren heore broðer. Ibid. 14850 Habbe alc god mon his rihte. Ibid. 29056 We þe wulleð ȝelden sixti hundred punden to alches ȝeres firsten. c 1430 Syr Gener. xxxiii, And eache a Prince bryng his semble. a 1500 MS. Sloane No. 1986 f. 30 in Dom. Archit. III. 69 In halle make fyre at eyche a mele. a 1500 Miracle Plays (1838) 17 Leeve you not this eich one? 1570 B. Googe Pop. Kingd. 52 Eche heart was then peruersely bent. a 1580 Ld. Vaux in Farr S.P. 303 Why doest thou put thy trust In things eiche made of clay. 1593 Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. ii. (1611) 3 That which doth assigne vnto each thing the kinde. |
| β c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxxvii[i]. 51 And sloᵹ ylc frumbearn on eorðan. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 119 Ilk gres, ilc wurt, ilc birðhel tre. a 1300 Havelok 1740 Il man to þer he cam fro. Ibid. 2112 Of his mouth it com il del. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 584 Þus foul with-in ilk man es. c 1430 Syr Tryam. 1511 At ylke stroke the fyre owt braste. |
| γ c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 65 Ulche dei. a 1200 Moral Ode 90 in Cott. Hom. 165 Uches monnes þonc. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 181 Ilch man of his wise noteð his swinch. 1307 Elegy Edw. I, xi, In uch bataille thou hadest pris. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 3666 Ich of hem wel noble was. c 1340 Cursor M. 35 (Trin.) Vche fruyt, þat men may fynde. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 431 Ilche man þat is ordeyned of God to be dampned. c 1400 Destr. Troy 4046 Now wete yche wegh. c 1450 Myrc 416 Vche dayes bred. 1538 Starkey England i. ii. §3 (1871) 29 Ychone in hym selfe. Ibid. 38 Loue euery man iche other. |
| δ c 825 Vesp. Psalter xi[i]. 2 Ða idlan spreocende is anra ᵹehwelc to ðæm nestan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Halden from uwilche swinke. Ibid. 13 Uwil mon. Ibid. 17 God..hauet ihaten uwilne..mon. Ibid. 121 Seh ut on iwulche half. Ibid. 133 Wið iwilche cristene monne þe he to sendeð his halie iwriten. c 1200 Ormin 10784 Iwhillc man. c 1205 Lay. 25664 Þat lond iwelde iwidel. Ibid. 25880 He þe awalt iwildel. c 1275 Luve Ron 125 in O.E. Misc. 97 Þarinne is vich balewes bote. ― Pains of Hell 151 ibid. 151 And heore ineward uych del..Eft heo werpeþ al in al. |
| ε a 1000 Metr. Boeth. xiv. 9 æᵹhwelce dæᵹ æcera þusend. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 34 æᵹhwylc [c 1160 Hatton G. aiᵹhwilc] dæᵹ hæfð ᵹenoh on hys aᵹenum ymbhoᵹan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 17 Þet þu beode eilcmon al swa þu waldest þet me dude þe. Ibid. 93 Ewilcum of þan wurhtan. c 1205 Lay. 596 Þe king..heihte eulne mon. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1231 On euch [Cotton MS. ewc] wise in þe world. a 1240 Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 205 On euche half abuten. |
B. Signification and uses. I. As adj. used attrib.
1. Every (individual of a number) regarded or treated separately.
The early use of each corresponded closely to the mod. use of its compound every (= ever each), the only difference being that it has always been possible to use each when only two things are referred to. Thus a sentence with a sing. subject preceded by each would (formerly) have been but slightly if at all altered in meaning by the substitution of a plural subject preceded by all. In modern usage each has assumed the sense of the Lat. quisque, and implies a distribution of the predicate or object parallel with the distribution of the subject (or conversely). An exception to this rule results from the fact that we cannot use every when only two persons or things are spoken of, so that in this case each retains its original extended use.
a. followed immediately by a n. (In OE. sometimes pl.; afterwards always sing.)
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 310 ælce wunde hyt ᵹehæleþ. a 1123 O.E. Chron. an. 1101 Rotb't ælce ᵹeare sceolde..þreo þusend marc habban. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 581 Ilc wateres springe here strengðe undede. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1488 Uch wiȝh þat it wist. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. lxxxvii. Sel. Wks. I. 301 Ebreus clepen ech water a see. c 1420 Sir Amadace l, Iche mon in thayre degre. 1482 Marg. Paston's Will in Lett. 861 III. 283, I wulle that ich houshold being my tenaunt there have vjd. 1598 J. Dickenson Greene in Conc. (1878) 153 The bodyes each-sicknesse may be expelled by choyce of symples. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 187 Gard'ners had need each Star as well to know..as Sea⁓men. 1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 286 Each night we die, Each morn are born anew. 1820 Keats Lamia 572 Before each lucid panel fuming stood A censer. 1874 Morley Compromise (1886) 123 Each citizen of the latter is an incorporated member of the former. |
† b. with a or an (one) before the n. (= mod. each, every). Obs. (For Sc. examples see ilka.)
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 87 Þet heo sculden offrien of elchan hiwscipe gode an lomb. c 1200 Ormin 5726 Illc an unnclene lusst. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxxviii[ix]. 13 In ilka land. c 1350 Will. Palerne 511 Vch a burn of þis world worschipeþ him one. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxiii. 19 He dronk of eche a diche. 1432 Test. Ebor. ii. (1855) 22, I wite to ilka prest..iiiijd. c 1456 Tourn. Tottenham 112 in Percy Reliq., In ycha stede ther thay me se. |
c. with one used absol. (often distributing a pl. subject or object; cf. 4). In mod. use generally superseded by every one, or by each absol. For Sc. examples see ilkane.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 127 æt æᵹhwylcum anum þara hongaþ leohtfæt. c 1200 Ormin 503 Þatt illc an shollde witenn wel. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 57 Euchan bi his euene. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1379 Him and ilc-on his kamel Wið watres drinc ghe quemede wel. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 165 With þo ladies ilkone. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 96 Leue vchon oþer. 1420 E.E. Wills (1882) 52, I will þat ilkon off þe other thre ordirs..haue x marc. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. vi. 55 The fader of goddis ichone. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge (1848) 113 She..kyssed them ycheon. 1535 Coverdale Isa. xiii. 14 Euery man shal turne to his owne people, & fle echone. 1631 T. Powell Tom All Trades 153 Every each one respectively. |
d. Phrases. on († in) each side, † on each a side: (now usually = on both sides; formerly also = on every side). In same sense, † on, in each half. each day: † used attrib. and in genitive case in sense ‘every day’, as applied to clothing, etc. † each other..: = every other (i.e. every alternate)... † each a deal, † each deal: every whit. † each kins: of every kind, every kind of; the northern form appears in one word as ilkin. each way: a betting term denoting that a horse, etc., has been backed for both a win and a place; also attrib. and transf.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xvi. 367 The..lord of dowglass ay Had spyis out on ilka syde. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 724 Wepyng and sorwyng in yche a syde. 1551 Turner Herbal D vj a, It groweth..of iche syde of the hygh way. |
| c 1205 Lay. 14745 Bruttes..heom to-holden in æchere halue. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 19 On euch half [= on every side]. |
| 1422 Will of Clanbowe (Som. Ho.) Myn echedaies gown. |
| 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) VI. 363 It ended in a compromise for a fee each other time. |
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1364 Had vnderstanden wele..ilk [F. ilka] dele. c 1325 Chron. Eng. in Ritson Metr. Rom. II. 303 The traitour uchadel Sende hit to Denemarke. c 1400 St. Alexius (Vern.) 334 Rædde hit siþen vchadel. c 1440 Generydes 697 His thought was sett oon hir yche deell. |
| a 1250 Prov. Alfred 384 in O.E. Misc. 126 Uyches cunnes madmes. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 220 Ilc kinnes beste. |
| 1869 Cassell's Mag. IV. 170/2 One pound on Blue Gown each way. 1897 E. H. Cooper Mr. Blake vi, I'll just go and put a little bit on Highborn for this race..; only fifty pounds or so each way. 1926 [see Bradbury]. 1929 Star 21 Aug. 16/2, I should think he may be a good each-way bet. 1930 Daily Mail 17 June 14/2 Sun Glory..has a useful each-way chance. 1951 E. Rickman Come racing with Me x. 84 A very small bet ‘each way’. 1963 Times 15 Feb. 11/4 Why should Britain back the 625 line horse to win when we can place an each-way bet on the dual standard? |
e. ever each: original form of every, q.v.
† 2. After without (buton): = any. Cf. all A. 4.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xl. 288 Butan ælcum eᵹe. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 227 Acenned of þe feder on hefene buton elcer moder. c 1300 Beket 480 Withoute ech delay. |
II. Absol. (quasi-pron.)
3. With reference to a n. going before, or followed by of. Sometimes incorrectly with pl. vb.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1521 (Gr.) ælc hine selfa begrindeþ gastes dugeðum. c 1330 [see A. γ]. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 163 He..maked ech of hem to been his thral. 1588 J. Udall Demonstr. Discip. (Arb.) 50 If God do vsually bestow doctrine and exhortation vpon seuerall persons, wherein eche is found to excell. 1678 R. Barclay Apol. Quakers xi. §7. 354 Each made it their work to retire inwardly to the Measure of Grace in themselves. 1739 Chesterfield Lett. I. xxv. 93 Each of these verses have five feet. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 213 All and each that pass'd that way Did join in the pursuit. 1837 J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (ed. 2) III. xxii. 354 Each has his own place marked out for him. 1871 Morley Voltaire (1886) 3 Each did much to..purify the spiritual self-respect of mankind. |
4. a. Distributing a plural subj. or obj. So equal each to each, said in Geometry of corresponding parts.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xx. 9 Þa onfengon hiᵹ ælc his pening. c 1400 Beryn 83 Lo! howe the clowdis worchyn, eche to mete his mach. c 1510 More Picus Wks. (1557) 9/1 Eche of them after their deseruing. 1572 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle, Horses (1627) 151 Turmerick, long Pepper, graines of Bay⁓berries, of ech a halfe peny worth. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 258 Studious of Honey, each in his Degree. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. 19 His majesty's heirs and successors, each in his time and order. 1840 Lardner Geom. 164 The component plates..being equal..each to each in magnitude. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 309 The lords of the bed⁓chamber [had] a thousand a year each. |
† b. Each (uninflected) has been occas. used to distribute a pron. in genit. pl.
| 1615 Chapman Odyss. xiii. 149 Two rocks..whose each strength binds The boist'rous waves in from the high-flown winds. 1704 Rowe Ulyss. ii. i. 944 The massie Goblets..Whose each capacious Womb..Portended witless Mirth. |
c. Often with reference to price; = apiece.
| Mod. They cost sixpence each. I paid sixpence each for them. |
5. each other: used as a reciprocal pronoun in acc., dat., or genit. case; = one another.
Originally this was a phrase construed as in 4, each being the subject, and other (inflected in OE. óðerne, óðres, óðrum, etc.) being governed in acc., genit., or dat. by a verb, prep., or n. This use still occurs arch. or poet. (each to other, etc.). The words have however long become a compound (cf. Du. elkander), so that we can say to each other, of each other, etc. To use the word as a nom. (‘We know what each other are doing’) is a vulgarism occasionally heard.
| a 1000 Battle of Maldon 234 Us is eallum þearf ðæt ure æᵹhwylc oðerne bylde. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 149 Þat we sholden biwepen ure elch oðres sinne. 1258 Proclam. Hen. III in Stubbs Sel. Chart. 388 Þæt æhc oþer helpe þæt for to done. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxix. (1495) 140 Foules that lyue by blode ete not eche other. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxiii. 222 Thousandes fell to the grounde eche vp other. 1485 Malory Arthur ii. vi, We wil helpe eche other. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxi. 133 [He] saluted them eche after other. 1538 Starkey England i. 2 Ych one to the profyt of other. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 338 Helping eche other so farre as wee may. 1615 Wadsworth in Bedell Lett. (1624) 7 How these two could be..members..participant each of other. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. (1702) I. 37 Justled each the other too much. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 682 Responsive each to others note. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 47 ¶2 These Two Lovers seem'd..made for each other. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague ii. iii. 11 That we may see each other's faces. 1821 Keats Isabel xxi, Each unconfines His bitter thoughts to other. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth II. 24 To defy each other to mortal combat. |
C. Combinations.
Certain phrases beginning with each were formerly written as single words (cf. everybody): as each a dele (ilkadel, uchadel), each day's (echedaies, cf. Sc. ilkaday), each man (eilcmon, eacheman), each one (echone, ichone, ilkane); see examples under A, B. See also ilkin.
▪ II. each
var. f. eche v. Obs.