already

Signification

1. Prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.
2. So soon.
3. An intensifier used to emphasize impatience or express exasperation.
4. Indicates action completion or change of state.

Coupé comme

al‧read‧y

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ɔːlˈɹɛdi/

Étymologie

From Middle English alredy (“fully; already”), equivalent to al- (“all, completely”) + ready. Cognate with West Frisian alreeds (“already”), Dutch alreeds (“already”), Afrikaans alreeds (“already”), Middle Low German alreide, alreids ("already"; whence modern German Low German alreeds (“already”)), Danish allerede (“already”), Swedish allaredan (“already”), Norwegian Nynorsk allereie (“already”). More at all, ready.
The use as an intensifier in American English is a semantic loan from German schon and Yiddish שוין (shoyn).
In Singapore English, the use of already as a marker of action completion and change of state (i.e., perfective and inchoative aspects respectively) is analogous to Hokkien 了 (liáu), Teochew 了 (liao²) and Mandarin 了 (le). Compare Malay sudah and Cantonese 喇 (laa³).

Phrases

If it were , he would already have heard of it .

Si c'était le cas, il en aurait déjà entendu parler.

The species was originally considered already extinct at the time of its discovery .

L'espèce était à l'origine considérée comme déjà éteinte au moment de sa découverte.

I have already described the appearance of that colossal bulk which was embedded in the ground .

J'ai déjà décrit l'apparence de ce volume colossal qui était ancré dans le sol.