Middle English Dictionary Entry

thē̆r adv.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
As dem. adv. with locative function, used to indicate essentially spatial relationships: (a) with ref. to a clearly specified place or point in space, physically removed from the setting of the action: in that place, in those places, there; also with ref. to abstract or fig. places; (b) with ref. to a concrete object or the surface or exterior of an object: on that, on it; (c) with ref. to a loosely defined or unspecified location physically removed from the setting of the action: around there, over there, yonder, there; ~ (her) and ~, nou her nou ~, all around, in various places; feinen word her and ~, fig. to beat around the bush, temporize; (d) in clauses containing verbs of motion, with ref. to a clearly specified place: to that place, to there, thither, into there; also, through it [last quot.]; also with ref. to a fig. place; also, with ref. to unspecified places: her and (or) ~, nou her nou ~, to various places, in various directions, all around; (e) in clauses containing verbs of motion, with ref. to a clearly specified place: from that place, from there, thence; also with ref. to a fig. place; also, ?with ref. to an unspecified place: from afar [quot. c1450]; her and ~, from various places; (f) with ref. to the place where the action is occurring: in that very place, in the same place, where someone or something is, on the spot; also, with verbs of motion: thither; (g) with ref. to heaven, paradise, purgatory, hell, the presence of God, the afterlife, etc. (often merely implied): in heaven, etc., there; also with ref. to the Last Judgment [difficult to distinguish from the nonlocative uses in sense 1b.]; also, with verbs of motion: to heaven, to hell, etc.; her ~, her and ~, in this life and the next; in this life and at doomsday [quot. c1230]; (h) with ref. to a text, canon of writings, pictorial representation, etc.: in that text, etc., in it, there; her and ~, in various places in a text, etc.; in bibliographic references: in the work or passage previously cited, 'op. cit.'; (i) in predications containing ben, with ref. to a place either specified or unspecified: in attendance, remaining there, present; also with ref. to an event [quot. c1300]; also, with taken: taken ~, to assume (sth.) to be there [quot. c1392]; her and ~, nou..her nou..~, present in various places; nouther ~ ne her, fig. out of one's mind, beside oneself; (j) with reduced semantic content, used as a device to advance a narrative, a metrical filler, rime-word, etc.: there.
1b.
As dem. adv. with various nonlocative functions, used to indicate essentially logical relationships, often with diminished force [such uses, esp. in (a), often difficult to distinguish from the locative uses in sense 1a.]: (a) with ref. to a particular sequence of actions or events, indicating a point in the chronological series: at that point, at that time, then; also, to that point, hitherto; from that point, subsequently; ?also, at the same time [quot. c1330, 2nd]; litel ~ litel ~, bit by bit, gradually; (b) with ref. to discourse: at that statement, remark, question, etc., in response, thereupon; let ben ~, to drop or change (a subject); (c) with ref. to a setting or set of circumstances: in that setting, under those circumstances, in such a situation, etc., then; (d) with ref. to a particular matter, question, issue, etc., indicating the focus of interest or concern: in that case, with regard to that, etc.; (e) with reduced semantic content, a weakened indicator of temporal or logical sequence: then; also, in riming tag: as ~.
1c.
As dem. adv. used: (a) to point to something serving as the focus of attention or admiration, the verbal equivalent of pointing or a similar directional gesture: there; (b) to suggest a dismissive gesture: ~ hit goth, that's the way it goes, so be it.
1d.
As dem. adv. with mild intensifying force, used chiefly with adverbial constructions: (a) with locative prep. phrases: there; righte ~; (b) with single-word modifiers of various sorts: ~ onhende, ~ presente, ~ thanne, right there, right then; (c) with verbs conveying the notion of remaining in a place, being or becoming fixed in position, etc.: there; leien (sitten, stonden, etc.) ~; (d) with adv. clause: ~..~, ~ (..) wher, in or to the place..where; (e) in anaphoric or serial constructions: ~..~, her..~.
2.
As nonlocative conjunctive adv. [often difficult to distinguish from sense 1b. but here its function seems to be more connective]: because of that, for that reason, therefore, consequently; also, by means of that, thereby.
3a.
As existential adv. with ben, chiefly in constructions in which the logical subj. and the verb are inverted: there: (a) followed by a noun or noun phrase naming someone or something whose existence is asserted, or identifying an action the occurrence of which is asserted; also with ben omitted [quot. c1390]; (b) followed by a noun or noun phrase naming someone or something whose physical presence is asserted; also in fig. context [1st quot.]; also with bicomen [quot. a1150]; (c) with positive expressions of quantity or number; (d) with negative expressions of quantity or number or in negated statements denying the existence or presence of someone or something; (e) with a rel. clause modifying the logical subj., with omission of the rel. pron.; also with omission of the subj. of ben [quot. c1475].
3b.
As expletive or anticipatory adv. in constructions in which the logical subj. and the verb are inverted: there: (a) with bifallen, fallen, waxen, and worthen; (b) with other intr. verbs; (c) with ben and worthen followed by an adj. or a ppl. of an intr. verb; (d) with trans. verbs in active constructions; also, impers. ~ nedeth, (sth.) is needed; (e) with trans. verbs in passive constructions.
3c.
As introductory adv. with clauses expressing a wish, blessing, curse, etc.: may (sth. be done, sth. occur); also, may there be (sth.) [quot. a1425, 1st].
4a.
In quasi-nominal or pronominal uses: (a) as the obj. of a prep.: that place, that number, that; (b) in subj. position, either normal or inverted: that, it [some irresolvable ambiguity exists between such uses and those of sense 1a.(i)].
4b.
In quasi-adjectival uses [all quots. here are susceptible of alternative interpretations]: present, attending; also, of that place or company, residing in that place, etc.; that ~, that person over there.
5.
As rel. adv. introducing adj. clauses, chiefly nonrestrictive: (a) with locative clauses: in which, in which place; at which, at which place; where, wherein;—sometimes in fig. contexts; also with noun used as adv. as antecedent (est, hom); also, on which; in the vicinity of which, near which [quot. 1451]; ?to which, into which [quot. c1450 *Bk.Marchalsi]; (b) ~ that and in comb. ~ ~, = (a); (c) with a text as antecedent: in which; also, with a bird as antecedent: on which, upon which; (d) ?as quasi-rel. pron.: which; (e) with nonlocative clauses: in which; during which, when [2nd quot.; both quots. could also be construed as sense 7.].
6a.
As subordinating conj. introducing locative adv. clauses: (a) in or at the place where, in or at the place in which, where; also, with verbs of motion: to the place where, to where, whither; from the place where, whence; ?to a place which [quot. a1450(a1338)]; also, in the place to or from which; ~ that (the); also, in comb.: ~ ~; (b) amplifying a previous dem. adv.: where; (c) used indefinitely: in whatever place or places, wherever; also in fig. context [quot. a1450(1401)]; with verbs of motion: to wherever, wherever; ~ that (the); also, in combs.: ~ ~, ~ wher, ai-wher (iwher) ~; (d) with implied ref. to scripture, a literary work, a narrative, or another form of discourse: in the passage in which, at the point where; ~ the; also, in comb.: ~ ~.
6b.
As subordinating conj. introducing locative noun clauses: (a) functioning as subj., subj. compl., direct obj., or appositive: the place in which, where; also, in comb.: ~ wher; (b) functioning as obj. of prep.: the place in which, where; ~ that; also, in comb.: ~ ~.
7.
As subordinating conj. introducing nonlocative adv. clauses: (a) with ref. to a particular series of events, set of circumstances, etc.: at the time when, in a situation in which, in the circumstances in which, when; ~ that (the); also, in comb.: ~ wher; (b) with ref. to generalized or hypothetical situations, settings, circumstances, etc.: in cases in which, in circumstances where, on those occasions when, when, if; also, used indefinitely: in whatever circumstances, in any cases in which, on what-ever occasions, at whatever point, whenever; ~ that; also, in comb.: ~ ~; (c) used concessively or contrastively: in a situation in which (sth. should be the case but is not), whereas, though, when; (d) ?inasmuch as, since; (e) ?with the result that, whereby; ~ that, ?to the extent that, such that.
8.
In locative correl. constructions [a few quots. could also be construed as sense 9.]: (a) as subordinating conj. in subordinate clause and dem. adv. in main clause: ~..~, ~ the..~, wherever, in whatever place, where..in that place, there; also, with verb of motion: wherever..to that place [quot. a1300]; also, with subordinating conj. in comb.: ~ ~..~; (b) wher (wher-so-ever, wher that ever, ther-as)..~, wherever, where..in that place, there.
9.
In nonlocative correl. constructions: (a) as subordinating conj. in subordinate clause and dem. adv. in main clause: ~..~, in a situation in which, in circumstances when, when..in that situation, under those circumstances, then; (b) ~..thanne, ~ that..thanne, inasmuch as, since..then; (c) wher (ther-as)..~, in situations in which, whenever, when..in those situations, then; also with clauses inverted [quot. ?c1425(c1380)]; (d) whanne..~, at the time when, when..then; also, in a situation in which, when..in that situation, then [quot. c1450].
10a.
In cpds. & combs.: (a) with adv. or prep. as 2nd element, used adverbially with locative function: ~ adoun, down in that place; ~ aforn, face to face with that, opposite; ~ al abouten, all around there, thereabout; ~ alofte, on top of it, on it; ~ anentes, ?at that point, thereabouts; ~ an-innen [OE þǣr-oninnan], into that, therein; ~ an-under, beneath that, therein; ~ an-uppen [OE þǣr-onuppan], upon that, on it, thereupon; ~ bihinde, behind in that place, behind; ~ bisides, near there, nearby; ~ boven [OE þǣr-bufan], there at the top; ~ forbi, past there; ~ hende, near that place, near it; ~ henne, from that place, from there; ~ innen, within or inside it, therein; ~ inwith, within it, within; ~ ner, near there, close by; ~ nether, down from there, downward; ~ onovenon [OE þǣr-onufenan], thereon above; ~ oute of, outside of it, outside; ~ thennes, from that place, from there; ~ until, thereto; (b) with adv. or prep. as 2nd element, used adverbially with nonlocative function: ~ afore, prior to that time, previously; ~ amonges, among them, in the midst of them; ~ anent, with regard to that, concerning that; ~ bouten, without that; ~ forn [OE þǣr-foran], beforehand; ~ froward, away from that, therefrom; ~ onyenes, against that; ~ umbe [OE þǣr-ymbe], about that matter, concerning that; (c) with ppl. as 2nd element, used adjectivally with ref. to a literary work: ~ seide, mentioned there, noted before, aforesaid; (d) ~ abouten, ~ aboven, ~ after, ~ as, ~ bi, ~ for, ~ from, etc., q.v.
10b.
In tmetic constructions with adv. or prep.: (a) as dem. adv. or quasi-pron. with locative function: ~..binne, within that place; ~..in (inne), in that place, into that place, therein; ~..of, from that place; ~..on, in that place, on that object; ~..to, to that place, into that place; also, with ref. to a medicinal mixture of ingredients: to it or them, with it or them [quot. c1150]; (b) as dem. adv. or quasi-pron. with nonlocative function: ?~..after, after that time; ~..of, belonging to that or those; ~..to, to that, to it; (c) as rel. adv. with locative function: ~..an-innen, within which, wherein; ~..at, at which, through which; ~ (that)..from, from which, whence; ~ (that).. in, ~..inne, in which, within which, wherein; also, into which, at which; ~..to, to which; ~..under, beneath which, to the south of which; ~..upon, upon which; (d) as rel. adv. or quasi-rel. pron. with nonlocative function: ~..from, from whom; ~..in, of which, in which; (e) as subordinating conj. introducing locative adv. clauses: ~..from, to the place from which; ~..in, to the place where or in which; also, introducing locative noun clause functioning as obj. of prep.: aboven ~..inne, above the place where or in which.