already

Betekenis

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.

Met koppelteken als

al‧read‧y

Uitgesproken als (IPA)

/ɔːlˈɹɛdi/

Etymologie

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).

Zinnen

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

Als dat zo was, zou hij er al van hebben gehoord.

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

De soort werd oorspronkelijk als al uitgestorven beschouwd op het moment van de ontdekking.

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

Ik heb het uiterlijk van die kolossale bulk al beschreven die in de grond was ingebed.