again

Alternative forms

• agen, againe, agayne, ageyne (all obsolete)
• agin, ag'in (colloquial, dialectal or humorous)
• 'gain (colloquial, dialectal or poetic)

Etymology

From Middle English agayn, from Old English onġēan (“against, again”), from Proto-West Germanic *in gagin, from Proto-Germanic *in gagin. Cognate with German entgegen (“contrary to”), North Frisian ijen (“against”), Danish igen (“again”), Swedish igen (“again”), and Norwegian Bokmål igjen (“again”), and Icelandic í gegnum (“through”). By surface analysis, on- +‎ gain (“against”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈɡɛn/, /əˈɡeɪn/, (dated) /eɪˈɡeɪn/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (California):

  (file)

• (regional US, pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): [əˈɡɪn]^[1]
• Hyphenation: a‧gain
• Rhymes: -eɪn, -ɛn

Adverb

again (not comparable)

1. Another time: indicating a repeat of an action. [from 14^thc.]

   I enjoyed it so much I went again the next day.

   • 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher), draft:

     He tangled in tree-tops again and again / And barely missed hitting a tri-motored plane.

   • 1979, Charles Edward Daniels et al., “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (song), Million Mile Reflections, Charlie Daniels Band, Epic Records:

     Johnny said, “Devil, just come on back if you ever want to try again / I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I’m the best that’s ever been.”

   • 2010 October 30, Simon Hattenstone, The Guardian:

     The last sentence is so shocking, I have to read it again.

2. Back (to a former place or state). [from 11^thc.]

   We need to bring the old customs to life again.

   The South will rise again.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Our table in the dining-room became again the abode of scintillating wit and caustic repartee, Farrar bracing up to his old standard, and the demand for seats in the vicinity rose to an animated competition.

   • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

     Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ […]. […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn't backed more'n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn't help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.

3. Over and above a factor of one. [from 16^thc.]

   This stick is quite long, but that other one is half as long again. (1½ times as long)

   • 1908 December 10, Austin H. Clark, “New Genera and Species of Crinoids”, in Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, volume XXI, pages 229–230:

     Cirri l-lxxx, 15, about 12mm. long; first two joints short, about twice as broad as long; third about one-third again [=one and one-third times] as long as broad; fourth and fifth the longest, about half again [=one and a half times] as long as broad; […].

4. Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion. [from 16^thc.]

   Great, thanks again!

   1. Tell me again, say again; used in asking a question to which one may have already received an answer that one cannot remember.

      What's that called again?

   2. I ask again, I say again; used in repeating a question or statement.

      Again, I'm not criticizing, I just want to understand.

   3. Here too, here also, in this case as well; used in applying a previously made point to a new instance; sometimes preceded by "here".

      Approach B is better than approach A in many respects, but again, there are difficulties in implementing it.

      • 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0016:

        A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire.

5. (obsolete) Back in the reverse direction, or to an original starting point. [10^th–18^thc.]

   Bring us word again.

   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew ij:

     And after they were warned in ther slepe, that they shulde not go ageyne to Herod, they retourned into ther awne countre another way.

6. (obsolete) In return, as a reciprocal action; back. [13^th–19^thc.]
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 31, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     So women are never angrie, but to the end a man should againe be angrie with them, therein imitating the lawes of Love.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection vii:

     Thus men are plagued with women, they again with men, when they are of diverse humours and conditions […].

   • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:

     As he lies in the light before a glaring white target, the black upon him shines again […].

7. (obsolete) In any other place.
   • a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:

     There is not, in the world again, such a spring and seminary of brave military people as in England, Scotland, and Ireland.

8. (obsolete) On the other hand.
   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     The one is my sovereign […] the other again is my kinsman.

9. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Moreover; besides; further.
   • 1835, John Herschel, A Treatise on Astronomy:

     Again, it is of great consequence to avoid, etc.

Preposition

again

1. (obsolete or dialectal) Against.
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:

     And here begynneth the treson of Kynge Marke that he ordayned agayne Sir Trystram.

   • 1924, J H Wilkinson, Leeds Dialect Glossary and Lore, page 60:

     Ah'd like to wahrn (warn) thi agaan 'evvin owt to dew wi' that chap.

   • 2003, Glasgow Sunday Herald, page 16, column 2:

     You may think you are all on the same side, agin the government.

References

Anagrams

• AAing, Gaian, Ganai, Giana, Nagai

Alternative forms

• agen, agin, agane, agayne, agyen
• agean (southern)

Etymology

From Middle English agayn, again, ayain, ayen, anȝen, from Old English āġēan, onġēan, onġeġn (“towards, against, opposite to, contrary to, against, in exchange for, opposite, back, again, anew, also”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈɡen/, /əˈɡɛn/, /əˈɡɪn/
• (southern) IPA^(key): /əˈɡɪən/

Adverb

again

1. back, in the opposite direction
2. again, anew

Preposition

again

1. opposite, facing
2. against, opposed to (literally or figuratively)

Conjunction

again

1. In preparation for, in advance of

References

• “again, adv., prep., conj.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.