Middle English Dictionary Entry
though adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | though adv. Also thouȝh, thou(ȝ, thoghe, thog(e, thoȝ, thoh, thof, thaugh, thauȝ, (K) thaȝ, (N, after t) toȝ & (early) þocke, þauȝ, þah, þach, þæh, þeah, þeh, þei(h, (K) þeð, (after t or d) toh, tauh, tah & (chiefly in combs.) the, (in combs.) tho, do, (early) þoþ, þa, (after d) te. |
| Etymology | OE þēah, þēh adv. & ON: cp. OI þō adv.; for forms in -þ or -ð see ME though conj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Used contrastively: (a) however, yet, nevertheless; ?also, moreover [quots. c1275, 2nd, and perh. a1400]; also, in correl. construction with though conj.: though..~, although..still; (b) following a coordinating conj. and preceding the second element of a cpd. construction: and (ac, but) ~, and (but) yet, and (but) nevertheless.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)5/18 : Manig man hæfð mycle fex on forheafde & gewurð þeh færlice calow.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)129/8 : Seod wætere to ðriddan dæle; sile drincan fæstende þ[ry] dagas swa þæt þu ðeah æȝhwilce dæȝ þane drenc ni[wie].
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)102/2 : Deaþ..wæs mucele..eadmodlicre þonne þæs deofles ætrine, & he hit þeah for monnæ hæle þrowode.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)118/25 (2nd occurrence) : Ac þeah sanctus Petrus þæt word mearcode, þeah he mid þam wuldre ofercumen wære.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)23 : Itt wass þohh full mikell rihht..Þatt all follc wass forrgillt þurrh þat Þatt Adam wass forrgilltedd.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2663 (2nd occurrence) : Tatt wass..metleȝȝc þatt..Marȝe Swa ferrde till Elysabæþ To lutenn hire..Forr þohh þatt ȝho wass haliȝ wif, Þohh wass ȝho miccle lahre Þann ure laffdiȝ Marȝe.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)119 : Monie þewas beoð..þe monnen þuncheð rihte, ac hi þah ledað to deðe.
- a1200 PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)165 : Ne sal þeih [Eg(1): þei; Dgb: þeð] no man samie þiar ne þarf he him adrade.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)8/98 : Nis hit nower neh gold al þat ter schineð; Nat þah [Tit: tah] na mon bute ham seolfen hwet ham sticheð ofte.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)10/10 : Godd wat noðeles ha weren wel baðe, nawt tah [Nero: tauh; Cleo: þach] onont claðes, ah as godes spuse singeð bi hire seoluen.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)192/10 : Ancre ne schal nout forwurðen scolmeistre, ne turnen hire ancre hus to childrene scole, hire meiden mei þauh techen sum lutel meiden.
- ?c1250 I-blessed beo þu (Eg 613)23 : Þe sunnes þat ich habbe i-cvn, heo rewweþ me ful sore; wel oft ich-chabbe þe fur-saken; þe wilich neuer eft more, Lauedie, for þine sake treuwen feondes lore.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2251 : Sone hit mæi ilimpen þanne ihc hunnen liðe; þah þu habben blisse and grið.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6727 : He is ȝung &, þæh, strong.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1569 : Nu haued he stolen min bliscing oc; Ðog, fader dere, bidde ic ðe Ðat sum bliscing gif ðu me.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1928 : Ðus he chidden hem bi-twen; Ðoge ðhogte iacob siðe it sulde ben.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)1296 : He is..Persones þreo in þrillihod, And o God þauȝ in onhod.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3589 : Eild es þou a selcut thing, [etc.].
b
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)57/24 : Besceawið..hwu wræcfull þiss andwearde lif is, & þeah ge ondrædeð eow þæt ge hit to rædlice forlæten.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)92/30 : Ða anȝite beoð ..Visus..Auditus..Tactus, repung, oðer grapung on alle limæn, & þæh ȝewunelycost on þam hondæn.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)116/4 : Nis nan mon þe hine wið alle synnen healden maȝe..Ac þeah hit iwurð æt þisre weorlde endunge..þæt Drihten..alle haliȝe ȝeclænsæþ.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)59 : Fele gode menn..cwemmdenn Godd..& tohh ne mihhte naniȝ mann..Utbresstenn off þe deofless band & ut off helle walde.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)113 : Moni mon nafð ehta and þeh haueð modinesse.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Þos men..habbeð þe nome of cristene ah þah heo beoð cristes unwines.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)25/19 : Ðies an soð godd, he is wiðuten anginne on him seluen, and þeih he is anginn of alle ðing ðe iscapene bieð.
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)30/253 : Þis meiden wes awundret swiðe ant þah feng to freinen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)10/11 : Nigra sum, set formosa; Ich am blac, & tah [Cleo: þach; Nero: tauh] hwit, he seið.
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Glb A.19)108/340 : So is mani wimman in hire fader bure scene under scete, & þoh [Trin-C: þocke; Jes-O: þeyh] he is scondes-ful.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2163 : Ðe x comen..To Iosep, and he ne knewen him nogt, And ðog he lutten him frigtilike.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)466 : Min eiȝen sorly aren sogettes to serve min hert..eke wite I al þe wrong, þe werk of mi eiȝen, and þouȝh sertes, so may I nouȝt, by no soþe riȝt.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)596 : Þus sey þey þat can no gode, And þouȝ [vr. þoghe] þey hemself vndyrstode.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19648 : His eien open bath had he, And þof [Göt: þou; Trin-C: ȝitt] a smitt moght he not se.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.293 : I sitte and þow supposest it Then nedes soth is þyn opinioun, But þow [vr. þaugh] my sittynge is not caused yit As nedfull of thyn estymacioun.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.212 : Ypocritys..don many..goode dedys, & þouȝ [vr. ȝit] ben þey schrewys.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.283 : Wordly men..oftin lesyn hemself boþin body & soule, and þouȝ at þe laste ende oneþis ȝeuyth it to hem a shete to ben beryyd yn.
2.
In combs.: ~ lesse, nevertheless; ~ paraventure, ?possibly; ~ so (~, so ~ [OE swā-þēah], notwithstanding, nevertheless, however [see also so adv. 12.(h)]; ~ whether [OE þēah-hwæþere], nevertheless; also, in correl. construction with though conj.: though..~ whether, although..still.
Associated quotations
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)54/22 : Þyllice wundre ic wyrce, ac swa þeah ic wylle deaðe swelten for mancynnes alesednysse.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)58/34 : Se þe gelefð on God & hafð ege, & nele, þehhweðere, god wyrcen, se byð þan deofle gelic.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)111/35 : Þeh þiss fyr egeslic seo & mycel, þehhweðere hit onælð ælcne beo his gewyrhten.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1137 : Martin abbot..heold mycel carited in the hus, & þoþwethere wrohte on þe circe & sette þarto landes & rentes.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)64/26 : He smirode his eaȝen eac mid þam lame, ac he wæs, þeah swa, blind oððet þæt wæter hine aðwoh þe is ihaten Siloe.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)64/32 : Ðenne ðe mon bið icristnod..þonne beoð his eaȝan ismirode, ac he ne isihð, swa þeah, ær þam þe he beo ifullod mid fulle ȝeleafan.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)104/1 : Hwilon he sceawæð hine seluen on engles hywe & bið þeahweðere awariȝed gast swa swa he ær wæs.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)110/8 (2nd occurrence) : Þeah ðe godspellere þas haliȝe race mid lyt worde write, þeahhwæðere þæt blisse..wæs mare þenne æniȝ mennisc mon sæcgen maȝe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)249 : Sannt Johan Bapptisste Þurrh Godess ȝife streonedd wass Off faderr & off moderr Onnȝæness kinde, þohh swa þehh, Forr baþe wærenn alde.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)978 : Teȝȝ ne kepenn nohht Noff Crist noff Cristess moderr; & tohh swa þehh nu wile icc ȝuw Off þeȝȝre lakess awwnenn.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)37 : Betere eow is þet eow sceamie biforen þam preoste ane þenne on domes-dei biforen criste and..al helle wara, and þa hweþere þine saule feren scal in to eche pine.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)57/20 : Ðeih he betere do ðan an oðer, þeih hweðere he læte wers of him seluen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)26/26 : Þe, kingene king, art..þrumnesse þreouald & anuald þe-hweðere [Roy: te-hweðere], þrile i þreo hades & an in an hehschipe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)6/17 : Oure lhord..ous uorbyet..þet me ne zuerie ne by þe heuene ne by þe erþe ne by oþre ssepþe; Þaȝles ine guode skele me may zuerie wiþ-oute zenne.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)263/28 : Þer ne is naȝt on þyef, ac uele..Þaȝles heȝlyche by þe þyeue is onderstonde þe dyeuel.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)6.23 : I holde my pees of lyke to me, þe whych, þof parauentour [L si forte], commen after seculer lettrez to holy scripturez & with afeyr sermoun deliten þe eeris of þe puple.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Abp.& N.(Phys-E)p.91 : This child was noht an half yer ald, And spac, thohqueþir, wordes bald Til the bischop.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)911 : Þat þou þo-queþe [Göt: doqueþer] has now mistan, It sal be beit wit a womman.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19507 : Þai þat war scaild so for nede, Fra stede to stede walcand þai yede, Stedfaster þof-queþer [Phys-E: þoȝ queþir] þan ar.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26864 : Sotht þe queder [Frf: þat is soþ], bot we mai sai His scrift þou agh noght to driue avai.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)39/29 : Bot toȝ-wheþir sal þe howse be grauntid him, And recaiue benicun, and singe his messe, yef þabbes cumandis him.