Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • A. Coördinate use.
  • Connective: A word connecting a word, phrase, clause, or sentence with that which precedes it: a colorless particle without an exact synonym in English, but expressed approximately by ‘with, along with, together with, besides, also, moreover,’ the elements connected being grammatically coördinate.
  • When many words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are connected, the connective is now generally omitted before all except the last, unless retained for rhetorical effect. The connected elements are sometimes identical, expressing continuous repetition, either definitely, as, to walk two and two; or indefinitely, as, for ever and ever, to wait years and years.
  • The repetition often implies a difference of quality under the same name; as, there are deacons and deacons (that is, according to the proverb, “There's odds in deacons”); there are novels and novels (that is, all sorts of novels). To make the connection distinctly inclusive, the term both precedes the first member: as, both in England and in France. For this, by a Latinism, and … and has been sometimes used in poetry (Latin and French et … el).
  • Introductive: in continuation of a previous sentence expressed, implied, or understood.
  • In this use, especially in continuation of the statement implied by assent to a previous question. The continuation may mark surprise, incredulity, indignation, etc.: as, And shall I see him again? And you dare thus address me?
  • Adverbial: Also; even.
  • Hence, but and, and also: common in the old ballads.
  • B. Conditional use.
  • If; supposing that: as, and you please
  • Disadvantage ys, that now childern of gramer-scole conneth no more Frensch than can here lift [their left] heele, & that is harm for ham [them] & a [if they] scholle passe the se, & trauayle in strange londes.
  • Often with added if (whence mod. dial. an if, nif, if). Hence, but and if, but if.
  • A prefix in Middle English and Anglo-Saxon, represented in modern English by an- in answer, a- in along, and (mixed with original on-) by on- in onset, etc.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • conjunction A particle which expresses the relation of connection or addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a clause with a clause, or a sentence with a sentence.
  • conjunction In order to; -- used instead of the infinitival to, especially after try, come, go.
  • conjunction It is sometimes, in old songs, a mere expletive.
  • conjunction obsolete If; though. See An, conj.
  • conjunction and others; and the rest; and similar things; and other things or ingredients. The abbreviation, etc. (et cetera), or &c., is usually read and so forth.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Breath.
  • noun Sea-mist; water-smoke.
  • verb intransitive To breathe; whisper; devise; imagine.
  • conjunction As a coordinating conjunction; expressing two elements to be taken together or in addition to each other.
  • conjunction Expressing a condition.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English ande, from Old English anda ("grudge, enmity, malice, envy, hatred, anger, zeal, annoyance, vexation; zeal; injury, mischief; fear, horror") and Old Norse andi ("breath, wind, spirit"); both from Proto-Germanic *andô (“breath, anger, zeal”), from Proto-Indo-European *ane- (“to breathe, blow”). Cognate with German Ahnd, And ("woe, grief"), Danish ånde ("breath"), Swedish anda, ande ("spirit, breath, wind, ingenuity, intellect"), Icelandic andi ("spirit"), Latin animus ("spirit, soul"). Related to onde.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English anden, from Old English andian ("to be envious or jealous, envy") adn Old Norse anda ("to breath"); both from Proto-Germanic *andōnan (“to breathe, sputter”). Cognate with German ahnden ("to avenge, punish"), Danish ånde ("to breathe"), Swedish andas ("to breathe"), Icelandic anda ("to breathe"). See above.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English and, an, from Old English and, ond, end ("and"), from Proto-Germanic *andi, *anþi, *undi, *unþi (“and, furthermore”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“facing opposite, near, in front of, before”). Cognate with Scots an ("and"), North Frisian en ("and"), West Frisian en, in ("and"), Dutch en ("and"), German und ("and"), Danish end ("but"), Swedish än ("yet, but"), Icelandic enn ("still, yet"), Albanian edhe ("and") (dialectal ênde, ênne) , ende ("still, yet, therefore"), Latin antis ("opposite, in front of"), et ("and").

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Examples

Comments

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  • Wow. WeirdNet doesn't even try to touch and.

    January 26, 2008

  • Yep--from the WordNet FAQ, section 1.1.1:

    "WordNet only contains "open-class words": nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Thus, excluded words include determiners, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, and particles."

    January 26, 2008

  • Hmph. Figures WeirdNet would be classist.

    January 26, 2008

  • I think it's just intimidated.

    January 27, 2008

  • Wouldn't the sentence "I want to put a hyphen between the words Fish and and and and and Chips in my 'Fish and Chips' sign" have been clearer if quotation marks had been placed before Fish, and between Fish and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and and, and and and Chips, as well as after Chips?

    February 1, 2008

  • Leaving the commas out of that sentence would present an interesting challenge...

    February 1, 2008

  • And?

    February 5, 2008

  • And.

    February 5, 2008

  • Usage on barouche.

    October 22, 2008

  • HA HA HA!!

    October 22, 2008

  • Don't forget gunpowder.

    October 22, 2008

  • Wow. People have actually listed this. Oh well, I guess it has been WAY under-rated.

    July 17, 2009