Aside
/əˈsaɪd/noun
To or on one side; separately; in theater, a remark spoken so the audience can hear but other characters cannot.
Did you know?The theatrical ‘aside’ became a built-in device for hidden speech: a character can tell you the truth while everyone onstage stays powerless to hear it.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
on sīdan
“on the side; to one side”
Middle English
ME
asiden
“to one side, aside”
14th Century
English
aside
“at or to the side; apart”
16th Century
English
aside (theatrical)
“a brief remark spoken for the audience alone”
Modern English
English
aside
“to one side; separately; a private theatrical comment”