CS Knowledge Base

• eben (etymology 1: adverb, adjective)
• e'en (etymology 1: adverb, etymology 2: noun; contraction, poetic, archaic)

• IPA^(key): /ˈiːvən/, [ˈɪi̯vən] ~ [ˈɪi̯vn̩]

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːvən
• Hyphenation: e‧ven

From Middle English even, from Old English efn (“flat; level, even, equal”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian íeuwen (“even, flat”), West Frisian even (“even”), Alemannic German ëben (“even”), Cimbrian ébane (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen (“leveled”), German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Icelandic jafn (“even”), Norwegian Bokmål jevn (“even, smooth”), Norwegian Nynorsk jamn (“even, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns, “even”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”).

The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂eym- (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यम (yamá, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view.^[1]

For the meaning development compare with Latin aequus (“equal, level, even, flat, horizontal”), Russian ро́вный (róvnyj, “even, level, flat, smooth”), ра́вный (rávnyj, “equal”), по́ровну (pórovnu, “in equal parts”).

even (comparative evener or more even, superlative evenest or most even)

1. Flat and level.

   Clear out those rocks. The surface must be even.

2. Without great variation.

   Despite her fear, she spoke in an even voice.

3. Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc.

   The distribution of food must be even.

   Call it even.

4. (mathematics, not comparable) Of an integer, divisible by two.

   Four, fourteen and forty are even numbers.

5. (informal) Of a number, convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero.
   • 1989, Jerry Sterner, Other People's Money, act I:

     Coles. How many shares have you bought, Mr. Garfinkle?
     Garfinkle. One hundred and ninety-six thousand. […]
     Jorgenson. […] How'd you figure out to buy such an odd amount? Why not two hundred thousand — nice even number. Thought you liked nice even numbers.

   • 1998, Marya Hornbacher, chapter 8, in Wasted‎^[1], paperback edition, HarperPerennial, published 1999, →ISBN, page 253:

     He put me on the scale in my underwear and socks: 82 pounds. […] I left, humming all day long, remembering that once upon a time my ideal weight had been 84, and now I'd even beaten that. I decided 80 was a better number, a nice even number to be.

6. On equal monetary terms; neither owing nor being owed.
7. (colloquial) On equal terms of a moral sort; quits.

   You biffed me back at the barn, and I biffed you here—so now we're even.

8. Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.
   • '
     1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke xix:44:

     And shall lay thee even with the ground.

9. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     I know my life so even.

10. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition. (Can we verify⁽⁾ this sense?)
    • c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe, Bible - Matthew 18.29

      His even servant.

• Because of confusion with the "divisible by two" sense, use of even to mean "convenient for rounding" is rare; the synonym round is more common for this sense.

• (flat and level): flat, level, uniform; see also Thesaurus:smooth
• (without great variation): regular, monotone (voice); see also Thesaurus:steady
• (equal): level, on par; see also Thesaurus:equal
• (convenient for rounding): round
• (on equal monetary terms): quits (colloquial, UK)
• (on equal moral terms): quits, square

• (antonym(s) of “flat and level”): uneven
• (antonym(s) of “divisible by two”): odd

even (plural evens)

1. (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.

   So let's see. There are two evens here and three odds.

• “even”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Inherited from Middle English evene, from Old English efne, from efn (“even”) + -e (adverbial suffix).

even (not comparable)

1. Used to emphasise an extreme, unexpected or surprising case or circumstance.

   Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes.

   I feel lonely even when I'm in a room full of people.

   He won't apologise, not even to his mother.

   Did you even make it through the front door?

   I didn't even know her name.

   That was before I was even born.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 2:

     He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter II, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, […]. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

     He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.

   • 2013 June 29, “Unspontaneous combustion”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 29:

     Since the mid-1980s, when Indonesia first began to clear its bountiful forests on an industrial scale in favour of lucrative palm-oil plantations, “haze” has become an almost annual occurrence in South-East Asia. The cheapest way to clear logged woodland is to burn it, producing an acrid cloud of foul white smoke that, carried by the wind, can cover hundreds, or even thousands, of square miles.

2. Used to emphasise a comparative.

   I was strong before, but now I am even stronger.

3. Used to indicate a further degree of comparison.

   Bob is taller than Alice, but Cameron is even taller than Bob.

4. (informal) Rather; that is (used to signal a correction of a previous utterance).

   My favorite actor is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicholson, even.

5. (archaic) Exactly; just; fully.

   I fulfilled my instructions even as I had promised.

   You are leaving tonight? — Even so.

   This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 36, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 177:

     But on the occasion in question, those dents looked deeper, even as his nervous step that morning left a deeper mark.

• (exactly, just, fully): definitely, precisely; see also Thesaurus:exactly
• (implying extreme example): so much as
• (emphasizing comparative): still
• (correction to previous utterance): See Thesaurus:in other words

Inherited from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnian, from Proto-West Germanic *ebnōn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnōną, from *ebnaz (“even”) + *-ōną (factitive suffix).

even (third-person singular simple present evens, present participle evening, simple past and past participle evened)

1. (transitive) To make flat and level.

   We need to even this playing field; the west goal is too low.

   • 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):

     This temple Xerxes evened with the soil.

   • 1669, John Evelyn, “Kalendarium Hortense: OrThe Gard’ners Almanac; […] [October.]”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], 3rd edition, London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, →OCLC, page 27:

     [...] It will now be good to Beat, Roll, and Mow Carpet-walks, and Cammomile; for now the ground is ſupple, and it will even all inequalities: [...]

2. (transitive, obsolete) To equal or equate; to make the same.
   • 1639, Thomas Fuller, “Discords betwixt the French and English; the Death & Disposition of Meladine King of Egypt”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book IV, page 192:

     The Engliſh Earl [William Longespée the Younger], though he ſtood on the lower ground in point of birth, yet conceived himſelf to even him [Robert I, Count of Artois] in valour and martiall knowledge.

   • 1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:

     “But aside from that,” I continued, “what have I done that you should even me to dogs by such a supposition? I never yet failed a friend, and it’s not likely I’ll begin with you. There are things between us that I can never forget, even if you can.”

3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal.

   Thrice nine evens twenty seven.

   • 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC:

     A redoubled numbering never eveneth with the first.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits.

   We need to even the score.

   • c. 1604–05, William Shakespeare, All's Well that Ends Well, act 1, scene 3:

     Madam, the care I have had to even your
     content I wish might be found in the calendar of my
     past endeavours, for then we wound our modesty, and
     make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of
     ourselves we publish them.

5. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with.
   • c. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, act 3, scene 4:

     Prithee away,
     There's more to be considered: but we'll even
     All that good time will give us.

• (to make flat and level): flatten, level
• (to equal): match
• (to place in an equal state): settle

From Middle English even, from Old English ǣfen, from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs (“evening”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Äivend, Äiwend, Eeuwend (“evening”), West Frisian jûn (“evening”), Dutch avond (“evening”), Low German Avend (“evening”), German Abend (“evening”), Danish aften (“evening”). See also the related terms eve and evening.

even (plural evens)

2. (archaic or poetic) Evening.

   We'll meet at even, when the sun is set.

   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew viij:[16], folio x, recto:

     Whẽ the evẽ was come they bꝛought vnto hĩ many that were poſſeſſed with devyllꝭ / […]

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 28”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, signature C2, verso:

     When ſparkling ſtars twire not thou guil'ſt th' eauen.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 15:16, signature L2, verso, column 2:

     And if any mans ſeede of copulation goe out from him, then hee ſhall waſh all his fleſh in water, and bee vncleane vntill the Euen.

• evening, eventide; see also Thesaurus:evening

• Neve, eevn, neve, névé

From English even or even if or even though.

even

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin) even though; even if
   • 2015, “一千英哩 [A thousand miles away]”‎^[2]performed by 唐寧:

     Even你只存在照片裡 [Taiwanese Mandarin, trad.]
     Even你只存在照片里 [Taiwanese Mandarin, simp.]

     Even nǐ zhǐ cúnzài zhàopiàn lǐ [Pinyin]

     Even though you only exist in pictures

• effen (for the temporal senses of the adverb; colloquial; standard)
• effe (for the temporal senses of the adverb; colloquial; non-standard)
• ff (for the temporal senses of the adverb; slang, common chat abbreviation)

From Middle Dutch even, effen, from Old Dutch *evan, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.və(n)/
• Hyphenation: even
• Rhymes: -eːvən

even

1. shortly, briefly

   Ik zal even voor u kijken.

   I shall have a look for you shortly.

2. for a short period, for a while

   In de tweede helft van de 19e eeuw bloeide Vollenhove weer even op.^{nl:Vollenhove#Geschiedenis}

   In the second half of the 19th century, Vollenhove flourished again for a while.

3. for a moment; modal particle indicating that the speaker expects that something will require little time or effort.

   Zou je even de deur voor me dicht willen doen?

   Could you please close the door for me (for a moment)?

4. just as, to the same degree (used with an adjective)

   In het midden van de vloer stond een tafel van wel vier meter hoog en een even grote stoel er bij.

   In the middle of the floor there stood a four-metre tall table and a chair just as large beside it.

5. (Netherlands) quite, rather

   Die is even kwaad!

   He's rather angry!

• eventjes
• effentjes

• Javindo: efen
• Negerhollands: even, eeven
• → Caribbean Javanese: éfe (via Sranan Tongo)
• → Kwinti: even

even (not comparable)

1. even, opposite of odd

   Antonym: oneven

2. (archaic) even, equal, level

   Antonym: oneven

Declension of even
uninflected	even
inflected	even
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		even
indefinite	m./f. sing.	even
	n. sing.	even
	plural	even
definite		even
partitive		evens

• veen
• neve

From Old Dutch *evan, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

ēven

1. even, equal

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

• Dutch: even
  • Afrikaans: ewe
• Limburgish: aeve

ēven

1. just as, equally

• Dutch: even
  • Afrikaans: ewe

• “even (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “even (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “even (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “evene (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page evene

From Old English efn, from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

• evene, evyn
• eevene, ewen, ȝevene, heven, hevyn (Late Middle English); efenn (Ormulum)
• evin, ewyn, ewyne (Northern or North Midland); evyne, ewine (Early Scots)

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛ̞ːvən/, /ˈɛvən/

even (plural and weak singular evene)

1. Smooth, level, even:

   Near-synonyms: smethe, smothe

   Antonym: uneven

   1. Straight, direct; not crooked.
   2. Horizontal, level; not angled or sloped.
   3. Aligned, balanced; in alignment.
   4. Uniform, smooth (of flour, motion, or paste)
2. Calm, unruffled, steadfast (usually emotionally):
   1. Just, impartial; not biased or unfair.

      Antonym: uneven

   2. Even (free of debts or obligations)
3. Equal, identical, the same.

   Antonym: uneven

4. Even (divisible by two)

   Coordinate terms: odde, uneven

5. (rare) Moderate, medium; not extreme.
6. (rare) Sufficient, satisfactory.

• English: even
• Middle Scots: evin
  • Scots: even, een

• “ēven, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “even, adj.¹ & n.²”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “evin, ewin, a.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from William A[lexander] Craigie, A[dam] J[ack] Aitken [et al.], editors, A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue: […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1931–2002, →OCLC.

From Old English ǣfen, from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs.

• efen, evyn
• evon, evone, evyne, ȝeven, ȝevyn, yeven (Late Middle English); aven, eaven (Laȝamon's Brut); efenn (Ormulum)
• hevyn (East Anglia); ewyn (Northern); evin, ewine, ewyne, eyn (Early Scots)

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛ̝ːvən/, /ˈeːvən/

even (plural evenes)

1. The evening; the time of day between afternoon and night.

   Synonyms: eve, eventide, evenynge, (rare) evetide

2. The evening before a feast day or holiday.

   Synonym: eve

• English: even (archaic or poetic)
• Middle Scots: evin, evyn, ene
  • Scots: e'en, een

• “ēve(n, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

even

1. alternative form of evene (“evenly”)

even

1. alternative form of evene (“form, cause, capacity”)

even

1. alternative form of hevene

even

1. alternative form of evenen

even m

1. definite singular of eve

• Even, even, evne, neve, veen, vene