so

adj

Etymology: From Middle English so, swo, zuo, swa, swe, from Old English swā, swǣ, swē (“so, as, the same, such, that”), from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem). Cognate with Scots sae (“so”), Saterland Frisian so (“so”), West Frisian sa (“so”), Dutch zo (“so”), German Low German so (“so”), German so (“so”), Danish så (“so”), Norwegian Nynorsk so (“so”), Swedish så (“so, such that”), Faroese so (“so”), Icelandic svo (“so”), Old Latin suad (“so”), Albanian sa (“how much, so, as”), Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs, “as”), Urdu سو (sō, “hence”).

1. Agreeing with actual facts or reality; true.

   “That is so.”

   “You are responsible for this, is that not so?”

2. In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase.

   “"You're definitely not right about that." "I am so!" (→I am right about that).”

   “If this separation was painful to all parties, it was most so to Martha.”

3. Homosexual.

   “Is he so?”

adv

Etymology: From Middle English so, swo, zuo, swa, swe, from Old English swā, swǣ, swē (“so, as, the same, such, that”), from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem). Cognate with Scots sae (“so”), Saterland Frisian so (“so”), West Frisian sa (“so”), Dutch zo (“so”), German Low German so (“so”), German so (“so”), Danish så (“so”), Norwegian Nynorsk so (“so”), Swedish så (“so, such that”), Faroese so (“so”), Icelandic svo (“so”), Old Latin suad (“so”), Albanian sa (“how much, so, as”), Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs, “as”), Urdu سو (sō, “hence”).

1. To the (explicitly stated) extent.

   “It was so hot outside that all the plants died.”

   “He was so good, they hired him on the spot.”

2. To the (implied) extent.

   “I need a piece of cloth so long. [= this long]”

   “We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.”

3. Very (positive or negative clause).

   “I feel so much better now.”

   “I so nearly lost my temper.”

4. Very much.

   “But I so want to see the Queen when she visits our town!”

   “Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust.”

5. Very much.

   “That is so not true!”

6. In the same manner or to the same extent as aforementioned; likewise, also.

   “As above, so below.”

   “Just as you have the right to your free speech, so I have the right to mine.  Many people say she's the world's greatest athlete, but I don't think so.  "I can count backwards from one hundred." "So can I."”

7. Indeed.

   “‘Look, it’s just stopped raining.’ ‘So it has!’”

   “‘There are two more.’ ‘So there are.’”

8. To such an extent or degree; as.

   “so far as;  so long as;  so much as”

conj

Etymology: From Middle English so, swo, zuo, swa, swe, from Old English swā, swǣ, swē (“so, as, the same, such, that”), from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem). Cognate with Scots sae (“so”), Saterland Frisian so (“so”), West Frisian sa (“so”), Dutch zo (“so”), German Low German so (“so”), German so (“so”), Danish så (“so”), Norwegian Nynorsk so (“so”), Swedish så (“so, such that”), Faroese so (“so”), Icelandic svo (“so”), Old Latin suad (“so”), Albanian sa (“how much, so, as”), Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs, “as”), Urdu سو (sō, “hence”).

1. Reduced form of 'so that', used to express purpose; in order that.

   “I got an earlier train to work so I'd have plenty of time to prepare for the meeting.”

   “Eat your broccoli so you can have dessert.”

2. As a result; for that reason; therefore; because of this; due to this.

   “I was hungry, so I asked if there was any more food.”

   “He ate too much cake and so he fell ill.”

3. Used to connect previous conversation or events to the following question.

   “So how does this story end?”

4. Used to introduce a rhetorical question.

   ““We'd like to visit but I don't know if we can afford a hotel.” — “So who's staying in a hotel? Stay with us.””

5. Provided that; on condition that; as long as.

   “Speed. ‘Item: She doth talk in her sleep.’ Launce. It’s no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.”

   “As we cal money not onely that which is true and good, but also the false; so it be currant.”

intj

Etymology: From Middle English so, swo, zuo, swa, swe, from Old English swā, swǣ, swē (“so, as, the same, such, that”), from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem). Cognate with Scots sae (“so”), Saterland Frisian so (“so”), West Frisian sa (“so”), Dutch zo (“so”), German Low German so (“so”), German so (“so”), Danish så (“so”), Norwegian Nynorsk so (“so”), Swedish så (“so, such that”), Faroese so (“so”), Icelandic svo (“so”), Old Latin suad (“so”), Albanian sa (“how much, so, as”), Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs, “as”), Urdu سو (sō, “hence”).

1. Used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story, or a new thought or question in continuation of an existing topic.

   “So, let's go home.”

   “So, what'll you have?”

2. Used as a question to ask for further explanation of something said, often rhetorically or in a dismissive or impolite manner.

   “"You park your car in front of my house every morning." — "So?"”

3. Used as a meaningless filler word to begin a response to a question.

   “What are you doing? / So I'm just fixing this shelf.”

   “What time does the train leave? / So it leaves at 10 o'clock.”

4. Be as you are; stand still; used especially to cows; also used by sailors.

name

Etymology: From Cantonese 蘇／苏 (sou1).

1. A Chinese surname from Cantonese.

noun

1. Alternative form of So..

pron

1. Initialism of someone.