different between even vs unswerving

English

Alternative forms

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?i?v?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?iv?n/, /?ivn?/
• Rhymes: -i?v?n
• Hyphenation: e?ven

Etymology 1

From Middle English even, from Old English efen, efn, emn (“even, equal, like, level, just, impartial, true”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz (“flat, level, even; equal, straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(h?)em-no- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”).

Cognate with West Frisian even (“even”), Low German even (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen, German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Icelandic jafn, jamn (“even, equal”), 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 ?????? (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”).

The verb descends from Middle English evenen, from Old English efnan; the adverb from Middle English evene, from Old English efne.

The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *h?eym-, (Latin im?g? (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit ???? (yamás, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view.

Adjective

even (comparative more even, superlative most even)

1. Flat and level.

2. Without great variation.

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

4. (not comparable, of an integer) Divisible by two.

5. (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, Wasted, chapter 8, 1999 HarperPerennial paperback edition, ?ISBN, page 253 [1]:

     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.

8. parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Luke xix. 44

     And shall lay thee even with the ground.

9. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
10. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition.
    • c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe, Bible - Matthew 18.29

      His even servant.

Usage notes

• 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.

Synonyms

• (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

Antonyms

• (flat and level): uneven
• (divisible by two): odd

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To make flat and level.

   • This temple Xerxes evened with the soil.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To equal.
   • 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre

     to even him in valour

3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of R. Carew to this entry?)

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.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete.
6. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

even (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Exactly, just, fully.
2. In reality; implying an extreme example in the case mentioned, as compared to the implied reality.
   • 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.
3. Emphasizing a comparative.

4. Signalling a correction of one's previous utterance; rather, that is.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• even as we speak
• even so
• even though
• not even (adverb)
• not even one

Translations

Noun

even (plural evens)

1. (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.

Translations

References

Etymology 2

From Middle English even, from Old English ?fen, from Proto-Germanic *?banþs.

Cognate with Dutch avond, Low German Avend, German Abend, Danish aften. See also the related terms eve and evening.

Noun

even (plural evens)

1. (archaic or poetic) Evening.
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew ch. 8:

     When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devylles [...].

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 28:

     When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild'st the even.

Synonyms

• evening, eventide; see also Thesaurus:evening

Derived terms

• evenfall
• evensong
• yestereven

Related terms

• eve
• evening

Translations

Anagrams

• Neve, eevn, neve, névé

Dutch

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?.v?(n)/
• Hyphenation: even
• Rhymes: -e?v?n

Adverb

even

1. shortly, briefly

2. for a short period, for a while

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

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

5. (Netherlands) quite, rather

Synonyms

• eventjes
• effentjes

Adjective

even (not comparable)

1. even, opposite of odd

Inflection

Antonyms

• oneven

Derived terms

• evenals

Anagrams

• veen
• neve

Middle Dutch

Etymology

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

Adjective

?ven

1. even, equal

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: even
• Limburgish: aeve

Adverb

?ven

1. just as, equally

Descendants

• Dutch: even

Further reading

• “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

Middle English

Alternative forms

• eve, aven, yeven

Etymology

From Old English ?fen, from Proto-West Germanic *?banþ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???v?n/

Noun

even (plural evenes)

1. eve

Descendants

• English: eve, even
• Scots: evin, ewin, e'en, een
• Yola: eave

References

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

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

even m

1. definite singular of eve

Anagrams

• Even, even, evne, neve, veen, vene

English

Etymology

From un- +? swerving.

Pronunciation

Adjective

unswerving (comparative more unswerving, superlative most unswerving)

1. Not deviating; not yielding or straying or varying.

   They followed the ritual with unswerving faith.

Translations