Middle English Dictionary Entry

thā̆re def. art. & adj.(2)
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms thā̆re def. art. & adj.(2) Also (chiefly early SWM or SW) ther & (early) þær(e, þar(a, (chiefly SWM or SW) þere, (SWM) þera & (assimilated to a preceding dental, early) tare, (early SWM) tere, (chiefly early SW or in names) ter & (in names) thir, thur, (with faulty word division, assimilated to a preceding t) te, (relic of faulty word division, chiefly initially) r & (error) þerere.
Etymology OE þǣre, þā̆re, þǣr, þā̆ra, þē̆re, þē̆r, sg. dat. fem. of sē̆. ME thare almost always occurs with descendants of OE fem. nouns, but there are occasional instances with descendants of OE masc. nouns (e.g., quot. a1225(c1200) in 1c.(b)) and OE neut. nouns (e.g., quots. a1225(c1200), 2nd, in 1c.(d), c1300 in 1a.(a)) and with borrowings of OF fem. nouns (e.g., quot. a1300 in 3.(a)).

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. re n.(2), ther-while adv.
1a.
Referring to a specific member of a class and used anaphorically, pointing to a person or thing previously mentioned: the, that: (a) with noun; (b) with noun, now further specified by an adj., a rel. clause, etc.; also with adj. as noun; on ~ sinne, ?that one offense; ?error for on bar sinne, one single offense; (c) with dem. pron.
Show 25 Quotations
1b.
With noun, referring to a specific member of a class and pointing to a person or thing not previously mentioned, but instead understood from the context or already known: the; also, with a noun denoting a part of the body, someone related by blood, etc.: the; his, her, etc.; at ~ nede, in time of need, trouble, or peril; on ~ while, during that time.
Show 13 Quotations
1c.
With noun, referring to a specific member of a class and pointing to a person or thing neither previously mentioned nor understood from the context nor already known: (a) pointing to a person or thing particularized by a descriptive adj., an ordinal number, a gen. phrase, a prep. phrase, or an appositional phrase: the; (b) pointing to a thing particularized by a rel. clause: the, that; (c) pointing to a thing particularized by a noun clause: the; (d) with a noun of time or place particularized by a temporal or locative clause: the.
Show 27 Quotations
2.
Having unique reference: (a) the; ~ erthe (se, sonne, etc.); (b) with noun phrase referring to God; (c) with abstract noun: the; (d) with noun denoting a part or time of the day; with the name of a feast day; (e) with a title or class noun in apposition to a personal name, a name of a book, or a date: the; (f) used before an adj. preceding or following a personal name: the; (g) with names of rivers, seas, mountains, etc.: the.
Show 39 Quotations
3.
Having generic reference: the, a: (a) with noun, pointing to a species, class, or type, or to a representative of a type; (b) with noun denoting the heart, the soul, etc.; (c) with noun denoting a period of time.
Show 17 Quotations
4.
(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.14; 2.202].
Show 24 Quotations

©2024 Regents of the University of Michigan. For details about this collection's copyright see the MEC copyright statement and the U-M Library Copyright Policy. Data last refreshed December 2023.