Middle English Dictionary Entry
therne adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | therne adj. |
| Etymology | K only. The suf. is from the OE sg. acc. masc. suf. -ne of the dem. pronouns and strong adjectives. The origin of the stem is uncertain: perh. it is from the OE sg. gen. & dat. fem. demonstrative þǣre (cp. ME thā̆re def. art. & adj.(1) & (2)); for other possibilities see Wallenberg Vocab.Ayenb.251 fn. ME therne usu. occurs with descendants of OE masc. nouns, but there is one instance with a descendant of an OE fem. noun (answere) and two instances with borrowings from OF (gardin, paske). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. thir(e adj., this adj.
1.
With noun, referring to a specific member of a class and used anaphorically, pointing to a previously mentioned thing: this; also pointing to a thing not previously mentioned but understood from the context [last quot.].
Associated quotations
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)154/716 : Seyde eue..'Þe eddre..Heþ ous y-schent'; Þo by-gan god speke to þat worm: 'For þou areredst þerne storm And alle þys hete, Acorsed be þou.'
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)72/30 : Dyaþ is to guodemen ende of alle kueade and gate and inguoynge of alle guode..Ac þe wyse of þise wordle..clepeþ þe writinge foles and yblent, Vor þerne dyaþ hi clepieþ lyf.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)86/5 : Man heþ þri maneres of uridom..Þe uerste is uri-wyl, huer-by he may..do uryliche oþer þet guod oþer þet kuead; Þerne uridom he halt of god.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)94/30 : God zayþ..'þou art a gardin'..Þerne gardyn zette þe greate gardyner þet is god þe uader.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)111/5 : Þet bryad..is þet bread and þe mete þet þou nymst of þe sacrement of þe wyeuede..þou sselt nyme þerne mete mid greate wylle of herte.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)133/20 : He zede to his apostles þe niȝt of þe sopiere..'Ich habbe þerne paske y-wylned.'
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)214/22 : An oþer may zigge: 'Yef hit were suo þet alle daȝes..were messedaȝes..huo þanne ssolde erye..huer-by men ssolle libbe?' Þerne ansuere ich lete to ham þet betere conne ansuerie þanne ich.