Anyway
/ˈɛniˌweɪ/noun
Used to return to a main point, change the subject, or indicate that something happens regardless.
Did you know?Anyway began as two ordinary words, but by the 16th century it was already being used to mean “in any manner” or “regardless,” showing how English can turn a simple path-word into a tool for cutting off reality’s detours.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
ænig
“any, one, some”
Old English
OE
weg
“way, path, road, course”
Middle English
ME
any wey / any way
“in any manner; by any route”
16th Century
English
anyway
“in any way; regardless”
Modern English
English
anyway
“used to resume, conclude, or dismiss a point”