Referring to specific members of a class and used anaphorically, pointing to previously mentioned persons or things, a group, or a series of persons, things, actions, etc.: these, those, the aforesaid, the: (a) with noun; (b) with pron., adj. as noun, or num. as noun; (c) with noun or occas. cpd. or adj. or num. as noun, now further specified by an adj., a ppl. as adj., prep. phrase, or rel. clause; (d) with noun, pron., or num. as noun referring to members or a constituent part of a group;—sometimes in correl. constructions and freq. further specified by an adj. or a num.; ~ first seven..~ other seven, the first seven..the other seven; ~ other men..~ knightes, those other men..these knights; ruben..~ other, Ruben..the others; this simeon..~ other brether, this Simeon..the other brothers; etc.

Referring to specific members of a class and pointing to persons or things not previously mentioned, but instead understood from the context or already known: these; also, the: (a) with noun or occas. pron. or adj. as noun denoting persons, places, things, etc.; alle ~ other, all the others; (b) with noun denoting a period of time or the time during which an event occurs or physiological processes occur;—freq. further specified by an adj. and usu. in adverbial phrases: ~ daies (mani yeres), in these days (many years), at present; ~ thre daies, ~ monthes (wekes) two, etc., during the past three days, during the past two months (weeks), etc.; (c) with noun denoting the actual work being read or the physical document in which a written work appears: ~ (oure, presente, etc.) lettres, ~ presentes.

With noun or occas. num. as noun, referring to specific members of a class and pointing to persons or things neither previously mentioned nor understood from the context nor already known: these, those, the: (a) particularized by a rel. clause, an adj. and a rel. clause, an adj. and a prep. phrase, or a num.; ~ five (four-tene) daies, for the next five (fourteen) days; (b) particularized by a following list or series of persons, things, actions, etc.; (c) particularized by quoted words following, chiefly spoken but also written.

Having unique reference: ~ holi evangelistes, the holy writers of the four Gospels.

Having generic reference, with noun, cpd., or adj. as noun denoting a class or type or representatives of a class: (a) with noun or cpd. alone; (b) with noun or adj. as noun, with generic reference specified by an adj., a ppl. as adj., prep. phrase, or rel. clause;—sometimes to be glossed as: the [e.g., quots. c1275, c1395, and a1425(c1400), 1st occurrence].