Joining two or more alternatives: or: (a) connecting nouns, pronouns, or noun or pronoun phrases; ~ elles, or as an alternative, or else; also, or anything else [quot.: Patience]; ~..outher, or else; (b) connecting adjectives; (c) connecting adverbs; (d) connecting prepositional phrases; (e) connecting verbs, verbals, verb phrases, or predicates; ~ elles; (f) connecting clauses or sentences; ~ elles; (g) connecting unlike elements; ~ elles.

In correlative constructions: (a) connecting nouns, noun phrases, pronouns, or adjectives: ~..~ (or, ne, and), outher..~, either..or; either..~..~, etc.; (b) connecting prepositional phrases: ~..~ (or, either), either (outher)..~, either..or; ~..or elles, either..or else; ~..~..~ (or), and..~..~, either..or..or; etc.; (c) connecting verbs, verbals, verb phrases or predicates: ~..~ (or), either..or; or..~..~; (d) connecting clauses: ~..~ (..~, either..or (..or; (e) connecting unlike elements: ~..~ (or), either..or; ~..~..~, ~..or..or, etc.

In constructions in which items are coordinated by means of more than one conj.: (a) connecting nouns, noun phrases, pronoun phrases, or adjectives: ~..~ (or), outher..~, or..or; ~..~..~, or..~..or, etc.; (b) connecting prepositional phrases: ~ (oth-the)..~, ~..oth-the, or..or; ~..~..~, ~..or..or, etc.; (c) connecting verbs, verbals, verb phrases, or predicates: ~..~ (or), or..~, either..or; ~..~..~, ~..or..~..and, etc.; (d) connecting clauses or sentences: ~..~, or..~, or..or; ~..~..~; ~ elles..or, or else..or; (e) connecting unlike elements: ~..~ (or), either..~, or..or; ~..~..~, etc.

(a) Connecting synonymous words, phrases, or clauses: or; ~..or elles, either..or else; (b) connecting different names for the same person, place, or thing: or.

Connecting a more precise wording with a vaguer wording: or.

In expressions of approximate measure or number: or; two ~ thre, thre ~ more, litel ~ nought, som ~ al, as wel ~ bettre, ~ more ~ lesse, etc.

As roughly equivalent to and; ~..or (and), both..and.

(a) Connecting alternatives that are mutually exclusive or opposites: or; (b) amis ~ elles, wrongly or in a different way; furtheren ~ letten, to help or hinder; liven ~ lien, live or die; of wo ~ of win, of sorrow or of joy; assaillen ~ defenden, bettre ~ worse, bi) dai ~ night, bi night ~ bi dai, bi water ~ bi lond, fer ~ ner, frend ~ fend, grom ~ maide, in part ~ in al, loude ~ stille, nou ~ never, on se ~ on lond, slepinge ~ wakinge, to deth ~ to lif, to helle ~ to heven, to heven ~ to helle.

In correlative constructions: (a) ~..~ (or), or (outher)..~, either..or; ~..~ (or) elles, either..~ elles, either..or else; ~..~..~ (or); (b) ~..~ (or), whether..~, whether-so-ever..~, whether..or; whether..~ elles, whether..or else; also, or else [whether is untranslatable; quot.: Pearl, 2nd.]; or..or..or..~, whether..or..or..or; whether..~..~, whether..~..or..or, etc.

In constructions in which several items are coordinated: ~..~..~, or..or..or; ~ elles..~, or else..or; ~ elles..~ elles..~elles.

(a) Introducing a clause stating the consequences of failing to obey a preceding imperative, to carry out a requirement, or to accept an offer: or, otherwise; ~ elles, or otherwise; also in correlative construction: outher..~ elles; (b) introducing a sentence: or; (c) ~..~, either if..or if; (d) if; (e) ~ elles that, unless.