The word "over" is spelled with four letters and two sounds. It is pronounced as /ˈoʊ.vɚ/ (oh-ver) in IPA phonetic transcription. The first sound is a diphthong, which means it consists of two vowel sounds together. The "o" sound turns into the "w" sound as the mouth moves into the position for the "v" sound. The second sound, represented by the letter "e", is pronounced as the schwa sound /ə/. The word "over" can be used as an adverb, preposition or verb.
Over (preposition, adverb, adjective):
1. Preposition:
- On or to the other side of something, often indicating movement, position, or direction. Example: "I jumped over the fence."
- Higher or more than something else, often concerning a measurement or quantity. Example: "The plane flew over 30,000 feet."
- Expressing a state or condition indicating excess, surpassing, or outdoing. Example: "She was overjoyed when she received the promotion."
2. Adverb:
- At or to a higher level, amount, or degree; beyond what is normal or expected. Example: "They bent over backwards to help me."
- Again; once more. Example: "She tried it over but still couldn't get it right."
- Throughout a period of time or during a particular event. Example: "They argued over dinner."
3. Adjective:
- Finished; at an end. Example: "The game is over."
- No longer in operation, functioning, or use. Example: "The party is over."
- Excessive or excessive to the point of excess. Example: "I ate an overabundance of cake."
In summary, "over" functions as a preposition indicating direction or amount, an adverb denoting levels or repetition, and an adjective describing completion or excess. Its versatility allows it to be employed in various contexts to signify location, quantity, time, or intensity.
• Notwithstanding.
• Above; opposed to below; above in authority; across, as he leapt over the brook; through or diffusely, as all the world over; covering or immersing; often contracted into oer.
• More than the quantity; beyond a limit; from one to another; from a country beyond the sea; on the surface; past, as the winter is over; completely; in a great degree, as over-difficult.
• Upper; beyond.
• Prefix, meaning above; beyond; too much; to excess. Note.-Over, as a prefix, is not usually separated by a hyphen; the words with the prefix over, keeping in mind the sense of the prefix, are mostly self-explanatory, accordingly, it has not been thought necessary to enter every possible compound having the prefix over, though it is hoped that no one in common use has been omitted.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "over" originated from the Old English word "ofer". Its roots can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic language, where it was derived from the word "uber". This word ultimately came from the Proto-Indo-European root "uper" meaning "over" or "above". Over the years, the spelling and pronunciation of the word have evolved, but its fundamental meaning has remained intact.