Referring to a specific member of a class and used anaphorically: (a) pointing to a person, thing, place, etc. previously mentioned, or occas. understood from the context: this, that, the aforementioned; these, those;—usu. used with noun or cpd. but sometimes with pron. or num.; this..~, this..that; (b) with noun or ger., now further specified by an adj., a ppl. as adj., prep. phrase, or rel. clause; also with num. and prep. phrase referring to members of a group [quot. c1390]; (c) with noun denoting a period of time or the time during which an event occurs: after ~ time, at ~ time (while), in ~ dai (daies, houre), on ~ dai, after (at) that time, in those days, on that day, etc.; from that ~ dai, from that same day; also, in adv. phrases: ~ dai (daies, night, stounde, time, while, yer), on that day (night), at that time, in that year, etc.;—sometimes further specified by an adj. or a num.: ~ same dai (night); ~ thre yer (two daies), during these three years (those two days).

With noun referring to a specific member of a class and used determinatively, pointing to a person or thing about to be mentioned: that, this, the; those, the: (a) particularized by a prep. phrase, a rel. clause, or an adj. or a num. and a rel. clause; (b) particularized by a clause of time: ~ dai (time) that, the day (time) when (sth. happened); on the day (at the time) when (sth. happened); also, particularized by a clause of place beginning with ther or wher: ~ place (gate) ther, ~ place wher, the place (gate) where (sth. occurs); (c) particularized by a noun clause or a sentence following.

Having unique reference, with noun denoting a person, place, God, a personification, etc.: this, the same, the: (a) used with a noun, personal name, title, etc. either alone or sometimes with an adj. preceding; on..and ~, one..and the same; (b) used with a noun, personal name, etc. and further qualified by a following rel. clause.

Having generic reference, used indefinitely, with noun denoting one of two alternative actions: this..~, one..another, this..that.