already
Meaning
Before now or before a particular time in the past.
Used to express surprise or impatience that something has happened so soon or is already the case.
Usage
I've already finished my homework.
Is it 5 o'clock already?
He was already there when we arrived.
Etymology
The word 'already' is a compound formed from the Middle English phrase 'al redy', meaning 'quite ready'. Its first element, 'al', is a variant of 'all', used here as an intensifier. The second element, 'ready', derives from Old English 'rǣde', meaning 'prepared, prompt'. By the 14th century, the two words had fused into a single adverb, shifting in sense from a state of complete preparedness to indicate that an action or condition is complete by a specified or implied time. This evolution reflects a grammaticalization process where a concrete phrase developed an abstract, temporal meaning.
Analysis
N/A