The word "soever" is often spelled with an "o" instead of an "e" in the middle, as in "whatsoever" or "whichever." This is because the pronunciation of the vowel sound in the middle of the word is a schwa sound, which can be represented by either an "o" or an "e." In IPA phonetic transcription, this sound is represented by the symbol [@], which is a neutral, unstressed vowel sound. Therefore, "soever" can be correctly spelled with either an "o" or an "e" in the middle.
Soever is an archaic adverb that can be used to emphasize the inclusion of any possible thing or person within a statement. The term is derived from the combination of the words "so" and "ever." It is often used in a conditional or interrogative manner, implying that something is true or applicable without exceptions or limitations.
Soever is commonly utilized in legal, formal, or poetic language to add emphasis, precision, or breadth to a statement. For instance, a phrase like "whosoever believes in this cause" implies that any individual who has faith in the cause is included, irrespective of their identity or circumstances. This exemplifies the all-encompassing nature of the adverb.
While the usage of soever has diminished over time, it can still be found in certain legal documents or religious texts, particularly in expressions of inclusivity and universality. It is worth noting that the term is regarded as somewhat archaic and may not be commonly understood in everyday conversation.
In summary, soever is an archaic adverb that emphasizes the complete or unlimited scope of a statement or condition, implying the inclusion of any possible object or person. It adds an element of absoluteness to the sentence, often used in a legal or religious context to ensure universality.
Only used in composition to extend or render emphatic the sense of who, what, where, when, &c.
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 soever is a compound of two Old English words: swa meaning so and hwæðer meaning whether, whichever. In Middle English, these two words merged to form the adverb sooth-er or soth-er, which eventually evolved into soever during the late Middle English period. The suffix -er indicates ever or whosoever. The word soever essentially means no matter what or whichever.