without
/wɪðˈaʊt/
preposition, adverb, conjunction
Origin
Old English
wiþ (against/near) + ūtan (outside) — on the outside
Overview
Meaning Now
- In the absence of; not having or being accompanied by.
- Outside of; beyond the range or limits of.
Literal older meaning
outside and/or excluding
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
wiþūtan
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally described physical location (being on the exterior of something). Over time, the concept of being 'outside' the reach or possession of something evolved into the contemporary sense of deprivation or exclusion.
Evolution
- Old English
wiþūtan
“on the outside; outside of”
- Middle English
withoute
“outside; in the absence of”
Meaning began to shift from physical location to privation
Connections
Word parts
with
root
against, near
out
root
outside
Related across languages
Old Saxon
wiðūtan
outside
Old High German
widarūzan
outside
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Related to without
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.