| 释义 |
▪ I. the, dem. a. (def. article) and pron.
(bef. cons. ðə; bef. vowel ði; emph. ðiː)
Forms: see below.
[The reduced and flexionless stem of the OE. demonstrative se, séo (later þe, þéo), þæt, the neuter sing. of which has come down as the dem. pron. and adj. that. Com. Teut. and Indo-Eur.: = OFris. thi, thiu, thet, OS. (se), th(i)e, thiu (the), that (the), (MLG., MDu. de (die), dat, LG., Du. de, dat), OHG. der (de), diu, daz (mod.Ger. der, die, das), ON. sá, sú, þat, Goth. sa, sô, þata, also Gr. ὁ, ἡ, τό, Zend ho, hā, tat, Skr. sa, sā, tat; all the inflexional parts exc. the nom. sing. m. and f. having the stem þa-, Lith., Slav. to-, Gr. το-, Zend, Skr. ta-, Indo-Eur. to-, found also in L. in tam, tum, tunc, is-te, is-tud, etc. The nom. sing. m. and f. in OTeut., as in Skr., Zend, Gr., belong to another demonst. stem sa-, I.-Eur. so-, found also in Ir., Gael., Gaulish so this, L. -se in ip-se. But in OHG., OS. (in most dialects), and in late OE. (10th c. in Northumbrian, and at length everywhere) the s- forms were superseded by forms in þ- (OHG. d-), from the same stem as the neuter þæt and the oblique cases, as well as the pl. þá, later þō, tho. After the middle of the 13th c. the s- forms are no longer found, exc. as a belated survival (ze m., zy f.) in the Kentish dial. of the Ayenbite (1340). The only surviving reprs. of the OE. forms are the and that, Du. and LG. de, dat; but while LG. dat (besides its other uses) is still the neuter article, the Eng. that has ceased to be any part of the article. In the following illustration of Forms all the inflexions are illustrated, but the special history of þæt and þá pl. will be found under that, tho.
(The nom. fem. sío, séo corresponds in form not to Goth. sô, ON. sú, I.-Eur. *sā, but to OS., OHG. siu ‘she’. Some identify it with Skt. syā fem. of the ‘extended’ demonstrative sya, syā, tyat; others regard it as a special WGer. formation related to Goth. sī ‘she’.)]
A. Illustration of Forms.
The OE. demonstrative and definite article was thus inflected:
Sing.Masc.Fem.Neut.Plural.
Nom.se, later þesío, séo, later þío, þíuþætþá
Acc.þone, þæneþáþætþá
Dat.þǽm, þámþǽreþǽm, þámþǽm, þám
Gen.þæsþǽreþæsþára (þǽra)
Instr.þý, þonþý, þon
The variants and later forms were: I. sing.
1. a. nom. masc. α1–3 se (1 sæ, 2 seo) [4 ze antec. pron.].
805Charter of Cuðred in O.E. Texts 442 æðelnoð se ᵹerefa to Eastoreᵹe. c825Vesp. Psalter ix. 25 Bismerað dryhten se synfulla. c950Lindisf. Gosp. Mark x. 24 Sæ [Rushw. ðe] hælend..cuoeð. c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 84 Sa ruwa ᵹealle byð wexenda on þan innoþe. Ibid., Se blace ᵹealle. a1154O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1135, On þis ᵹære for se king Henri ouer sæ. a1175Cotton Hom. 235 Þis is seo king. c1250O. Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 26 Se king of gyus. [1340Ayenb. 117 Ze þet ne heþ þise uondinges.]
¶ Abnormal uses of se in oblique cases, and of sa pl., ses gen. sing. (In some of these, s may be a scribal error for þ.)
c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1114, Þæt duᵹeð þæt wæs..mid se cyng. a1131Ibid. an. 1123, Ðis wæs eall ear ᵹedon ðurh se biscop of Seresbyriᵹ, & þurh se biscop of Lincolne. Ibid., Hi..brohten him toforen se kyng. Ibid., ᵹebletsod to biscop fram se biscop of Lundene. a1175Cott. Hom. 235 Ures hlafordes to-cyme ses helendes ihesu cristes. 1200–25Peri Didaxeon in Sax. Leechd. III. 94 To ðan sare þe abutan sa earan wycst. Ibid. 112 Wurm þanna sa handa & smyra þar mið.
(β) 1–2 ðe (ðy), 1–4 þe (2–4 te); 2–3 þa, 3–5 þo.
The O.E. Chron. 1122–31 has for the nom. masc. se, the section 1132–54 has (exc. once, anno 1135) þe (and te).
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. ii. 3 Herodes ðe cynig. Ibid. ix. 15 Cueð to him ðe hælend. a1154O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1132, Was it noht suithe lang þer efter þat te king sende efter him. Ibid. an. 1135, Þat ilc ᵹær warth þe king ded. c1175Lamb. Hom. 3 Hu þe helend nehlechede toward ierusalem. c1205Lay. 1327 Ne beo þa dai na swa long. a1240Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 267 Þe feder an te sune an te hali gast. a1300Floriz & Bl. 739 Þe Admiral..chaungede his chere. 13..Cursor M. 6282 (Cott.) Þe lauerd o might. Ibid. 20185 Þan said te angel. a1325MS. Rawl. B. 520 lf. 31 Ȝif þat te on [Iustise] be Clerke.
b. nom. fem. α1 séo, sío, síu, (sa), 1–3 se, 2 sie, syo, 2–3 si, [4 zi, zy antec. pron.].
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxix. §5 Sio godcunde ᵹesceadwisnes. c893― Oros. ii. iv. §8 Seo ilce burᵹ Babylonia, seo ðe mæst wæs..seo is nu læst. c975Rushw. Gosp. Matt. xii. 13 Swa siu oþeru [hond]. c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark xv. 40 Seo [c 1160 Hatton G., sie] magdalenisce maria. a1131O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1122, On þone lenten tyde..forbearn se burch. c1160Hatton Gosp. John xii. 17 Syo menio þe wæs mid him. a1175Cott. Hom. 233 Hwat deð si moder hire bearn? c1250O. Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 28 Si Mirre signefiet uastinge. [1340Ayenb. 102 Zy þet ne serueþ bote to onlepy manne.]
(β) 1 ðío, ðíu, 1–3 ðéo, þéo, (3 þæ, 2–3 þa, 2–4 þo).
c950Lindisf. Gosp. John ii. 1 Uæs ðiu [Rushw. ðio] moder and ðe hælend ðer. Ibid. v. 25 Cymmes ðio tid & nu is. 971Blickl. Hom. 65 Þeo deaþ-berende uncyst us is eallum to onscunienne. c975Rushw. Gosp. John xix. 20 Neh ðær cæstre wæs ðio stow. c1000Ags. Gosp. ibid., Þeo stow wæs ᵹehende þære ceastre. c1175Lamb. Hom. 15 Hit wes þa laȝe. Ibid. 87 Þo tid to estertide. c1205Lay. 4010 Þeo uniseli moder. Ibid. 9815 Þæ quene spac wið him þus. a1225Ancr. R. 282 Þeo heorte ne ethalt none wete of Godes grace. a1250Owl & Night. 26 Þo vle song hire tide.
c. nom. and acc. neut. 1 ðæt, 1–3 þæt, 2–4 þet, 2–5 þat, that, (3 þut): see also that.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §8 Þæt land Cilia. Ibid., Irnende on þæt sond, & þonne besince eft on þæt sand. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 264 Þæt ðridde ᵹebed is. c1175Lamb. Hom. 7 Þat ebreisce folc sungen heore leof-song. c1205Lay. 297 Þat child was ihaten Brutus. Ibid. 7843 Þæt weder heom strongliche drof. a1225Ancr. R. 186 Nis þet child fulitowen þet schrepeð aȝean? a1250Owl & Night. 1259 Þah ic hi warny al þat yer. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 12014 Þo was þut lond in pes. c1320Cast. Love 139 To delen þat vuel from þe good. 1340Ayenb. 2 Þet oþer heaued of þe beste of helle.
2. acc.
a. masc. 1–2 þone, (1 þæne), 2 þana, 2–3 þene, 2–4 þane, þan, þen, (3 þun), 3–4 þon, 4 þanne.
c825Vesp. Psalter iv. 4 ᵹemiclað dryhten ðone halᵹan his. c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1016, Eadric ealdormann ᵹewende þa ðæne cyng onᵹean. a1131Ibid. an. 1122, Þa com se fir on ufen weard þone stepel. a1175Cott. Hom. 223 He worhte þa þane man mid his handen. c1175Lamb. Hom. 7 Þurh þene halie gast. Ibid. 99 Crist ableow þana halȝa gast ofer þa apostlas. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 53 Ure helende..makede þen heuenliche fader sehte mid mankin. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2184 To rere þon stronge wal. Ibid. 7954 He..þen castel bisette. 1340Ayenb. 187 He ne may naȝt þolye þane guode smel..namore þanne þe boterel þanne smel of þe vine. c1380Sir Ferumb. 2419 Ate laste þan gurdel he fond. c1400Sowdone Bab. 108 To Egremoure þon riche Cite.
b. fem. 1–3 þá, 2–3 þeo, 3 þie, þo.
a900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xii. [xiv.] (1890) 196 Se biscop þa ᵹeseah þa eaðmodnesse þæs cyninges. c1000Ags. Gosp. John xix. 17 On þa stowe. c1175Lamb. Hom. 9 On þa ealde laȝe. Ibid. 49 [Þes put] bitacneð þeo deopnesse of sunne. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 107 Þie giue god giueð ech man. Ibid., Þeo giue he giueð mid þe holi husel. c1205Lay. 31 He nom þa Englisca boc Þa makede seint Beda. c1250O. Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 29 We mowe habbe þo blisce of heueriche.
3. dat.
a. masc. and neut. 1 þǽm, 1–2 þám, (2 þa), 2–4 þen, þon, thon, þan, than, (3 þæn), 3–4 þo (ten).
Beowulf 143 Se þæm feonde æt-wand. c975Rushw. Gosp. Matt. viii. 24 On þæm sæ. c1000ælfric Gen. vi. 16 Binnan þam arce. c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1087, Innan þam castele. 1131Ibid., On þa tun þa wæs tenn ploᵹes. a1175Cott. Hom. 227 Mid þan hefonlice feder. c1175Lamb. Hom. 41 On þon deie. Ibid. 121 Ibuhsum þan heuenliche federe to þa deðe. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 25 For þo þe he us shop. c1205Lay. 8157 Þu me smiten bi þon rugge. Ibid. 127 On þan londe. Ibid. 9266 He redde al þæn kæisere. a1225Ancr. R. 66 Al þat lescun..of þen epple. c1250O. Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 26 To-janes þo sunne risindde. Ibid., Bi þo sterre. c1315Shoreham v. 184 Fram þan tyme he was ybore. 1340Ayenb. 12 At þo daye. c1386Chaucer Friar's T. 51 To..make hym grete feestes atte nale [= at ten ale].
b. fem. 1–3 þǽre (2 þara), 2–3 þere, þer, 2–4 þare, þar.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xli. §3 Mid þære ilcan spræce. c1000Ags. Gosp. John xvii. 11 On ðære tide. c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 86 Byd hy to þare wunda. a1175Cott. Hom. 225 Binnan þara birie. Ibid. 235 To þar sawle. c1175Lamb. Hom. 3 He com to þere dune. Ibid. 31 Cume þenne to þer ilke chirche. c1205Lay. 1233 Mid þære sæ. Ibid. 4528 To þere sæ. a1225Ancr. R. 36 Ualleð to ðer eorðe. a1250Owl & Night. 31 Þe Nightegale..þuhte wel ful of þare vle. c1315Shoreham ii. 118 Þe sonne dym By-come in þare tyde.
4. gen.
a. masc. and neut. 1–3 ðæs, þæs, 3 þeos, Orm. þess, 2–4 þes, þas. See also thes adv.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. iv. §2 On þæs cyninges daᵹum. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 240 For ðæs folces hreddinge. a1131O.E. Chron. an. 1122, Þet wes þes dæies viii idus Mr. c1160Hatton Gosp. Luke i. 10 Eall wered þas folkes. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 23 He sit on rihthalf þes almihtie faderes. c1205Lay. 713 To þas [c 1275 þis] kinges ferde. Ibid. 806 To telde þæs [c 1275 þis] kinges. Ibid. 7560 Þurh þeos [c 1275 þes] sweordes wunde. a1250Owl & Night. 338 Þu adunest Þas monnes eren þar þu wunest.
b. fem. 1–2 þǽre, 2–3 þere, þare, 2–4 þer.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §14 On oþre healfe þære eas. c1205Lay. 331 Þere quene cun Heleine. a1250Owl & Night. 28 Hit wes þare vle erdingstowe. c1315Shoreham i. 79 Mannys blod Hys [= ys] ryȝt þer saule ȝiste.
5. Instrumental: see the adv., thon, thy adv.
II. pl.
6. nom. and acc. 1–4 þá, (2–3 ta), (3 þea), 3–5 þo (to); 3 þeo, 4 theo. (See also tho adj.)
a700Epinal Gl. (O.E.T.) 439 Funestissima, tha deat[h]licostan. c725Corpus Gl. 942 Ða deadlicustan. c825Vesp. Psalter v. 6 Ða unrehtwisan. a1200Moral Ode 103 Þa swicen and ta forsworene. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 35 On þa wurhliche weden. c1205Lay. 2020 He..scæwede þea [c 1275 þe] leoden. Ibid. 2326 Þa hehste of þan hirde. Ibid. 5654 Þeo [c 1275 þe] cnihtes weoren vnwepned. 12..Moral Ode (Egert. MS.) 192 He scal deme þo quike & to dede. a1300Cursor M. 861 Amang þa trees. a1400K. Alis. 4108 Theo maydenes lokyn in the glas.
7. dat.. 1 þǽm, þám, 2–3 þam, þon, þan, 3 þen.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §28 Be þæm ᵹesetenum iᵹlandum. c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark v. 2 Of þam byrᵹenum. c1175Lamb. Hom. 27 For þan deoflan. Ibid. 139 To alle ðon monnen. c1205Lay. 714 To þon cnihten. Ibid. 747 Cuð he wes þen cnihten. a1225Ancr. R. 50 Þe blake cloð..deð lesse eile to þen eien.
8. gen. 1–2 þára, þǽra, 2 þera, 2–3 þere, 3 þare, þer.
971Blickl. Hom. 35 Ne bið þara fæstendaᵹa na ma þonne syx & þritiᵹ. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 12 Ealra þæra þinga [a 1175 Cott. Hom. 221 þara þinge]. a1175Cott. Hom. 229 An þera twelf Christes þeiȝne. c1175Lamb. Hom. 133 Þurh ðere clerkene muðe. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 121 Þer apostlene lore. Ibid. 129 Nan þere prophete þe ȝe wenen.
III. 9. General uninflected form, as definite article in all cases, genders, and numbers.
This had come to be þe, the by c 1150 in the East Midland dialect, and may have been so even earlier in the Northern dial., where þe was the nom. masc. for se a 950. The nom. masc. and fem. had become þe almost everywhere by 1300, but the neuter þat, þet remained longer before a vowel (see 1 c); and inflected forms of some oblique cases survived in some southern dialects till 1400 (cf. 2 a and 3 above).
2–5 þe, 2, 4– the (also written 5–8 ye, y⊇). (Also 2–3 þa, 2–4 te (see T 8), 3–5 þo, 4 þi, 4 thee, 4–5 þeo, theo, 5 þey, 6 they, 8–9 dial. ta, te, da, de, 'ee; abbrev. 2 þ-, 5–6 th-, 7–9 (now dial. and poet.) th'; 5–6 (8–9 dial.) t' (see t'2), 8–9 dial. d'.
a1131O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1122, Þa com se fir..and forbearnde ealle þe minstre. Ibid., Se fir weax..up to þe heouene. Ibid. an. 1123, He com æfter þe Rome scot. Ibid., In þe lenten ferde se ærcebiscop to Rome. a1154Ibid. an. 1132, To þe king..þe muneces..þurh þe biscop of Seresberi & te b' of Lincoln and te oþre ricemen. Ibid. an. 1137, Þe land was al fordon..In the hus..on þe circe..alle þe landes. Ibid. an. 1140, Þe kynges dohter Henries..Wyd þemperice. Ibid., And te cuen of France to dælde fra þe king, and scæ com to þe iunge eorl Henri. c1200Ormin 1485, & gaddresst swa þe clene corn All fra þe chaff togeddre. c1250Gen. & Ex. 2949 But if it were in ðe lond gersen, ðor-inne woren ðe ebrisse men. Ibid. 2962 For to bi-tournen ðe kinges ðoȝt. 13..Cursor M. 6859 (Cott.) Suilk was þi lessun and þi lare [v.r. þe..þe]. c1400Rule St. Benet 12 Sua sais te prophete. c1420Chron. Vilod. 1910 In þe whyche water hurre to wasshe. a1425Cursor M. 9908 (Laud) The man that thedir-ward is fled. Ibid. 10005 Thee iiij⊇ turret þer e-sette. 1436Coventry Leet Bk. 185 Þat þey prior be not suffered to make no more off þe Stan wall vndur þey priory. 1470–85Malory Arthur ii. xiii. 91 No thyng but thold custome. 1496Plumpton Corr. p. ci, The said lands..& t'ofice of the Steward. 1529Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) I. 58 Kept to thuse of my saide Soonne. 1529in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. ii. 100 Mr Whittington, scolmaster to thenxmen. a1533Ld. Berners Huon vi. 13 Out of temperours fauore. Ibid. lxxxviii. 278 His vncle themperour of Almayne. a1548Hall Chron., Rich. III 27 b, Lo ye honorable courage of a kyng. 1603Shakes. Meas. for M. v. iii. 241 Come, come, to' th' purpose. 1632Milton Penseroso 60 Gently o're th' accustom'd Oke. 1742Young Nt. Th. vi. 465 Th' Almighty Fiat, and the Trumpet's Sound.
dial.c1746Collier (Tim Bobbin) View Lanc. Dial. Wks. (1862) p. xxxix, By th' Miss, th' owd story ogen. 1884J. C. Egerton Sussex Folks & Ways iii. 34, I can't swallow it nohows in de wurreld. 1888Addy Sheffield Gloss. 13 T' beeas has got into t' corn. 1890Bickley Surrey Hills xxix, Let 'ee words as did vor vather do vor son. 1892M. C. Morris Yorks. Folk-talk ii. 19 Gan inti d' hoos.
B. Signification.
I. Referring to an individual object (or objects).
* Marking an object as before mentioned or already known, or contextually particularized (e.g. ‘We keep a dog. We are all fond of the dog’).
1. The ordinary use.
805–a 1154 [see A. I. 1 a α]. c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. ii. 9 Stearra..ᵹestod ofer ðer (vel hwer) wæs ðe cnæht [Rushw. se cneht]. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. ii. 11 And gangende into þam huse hi ᵹemetton þæt cild. Ibid. John ii. 7 Þæt hiᵹ þa fatu mid wætere ᵹefyldon. c1175Lamb. Hom. 133 Sum of þe sede feol an uppe þe stane..sum bi þe weie. c1200Ormin 1082 He toc þe recless & te blod & ȝede upp to þatt allterr. 13..Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 405 Quod þe gome in þe grene to Gawan þe hende. 1340Ayenb. 186 Wel ssolle we habbe reuþe..þe on of þe oþre. c1386Chaucer Prol. 845 (Corp.) Þe soþ is þis, þe Cut fel to þe knight. c1425Seven Sag. (P.) 10 The emperour and is wif Loveden the child as hare lyf. 1530Palsgr. 45 Where they saye in frenche le maistre, la dame, we saye in our tonge the mayster, the lady; so that this word the, with us, counter vayleth bothe le and la. 1695Congreve Love for Love iv. iv, What's the matter now? 1818Cruise Digest V. 494 That the recovery enured to the uses of the settlement, and therefore that the purchaser had no title. 1902Gairdner Hist. Eng. Ch. 16th Cent. viii. (1903) 149 He re-considered the matter.
b. Placed before the relative pron. which (whilk) (arch.): see which. the one, the other: see one, other, tone, tother.
2. Used before a word denoting time, as the time, the day, the hour, the moment: the time (etc.) in question, or under consideration; the time (now or then) present. the while: see while.
[c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xlvi. 348 Hie nanwuht godes ne maᵹon ða hwile Gode brengan to ðances.] a1425Cursor M. 3889 (Trin.) Þe while holde lya in bedde Þenne shal þou rachel wedde. 1533Bellenden Livy v. xxiii. (S.T.S.) II. 227 Þe said voce was contempnit and necleckit in þe tyme. 1616J. Lane Cont. Sqr.'s T. viii. 213 And, iust at thinstant, all the canons plaien From towne to Campe, from Camp to towne againe. 1780Mirror No. 76 ⁋3 He comes there only as he does to the coffee-house, to enquire after the news of the day. 1848Dickens Dombey liv, At the moment, the bell rang loudly in the hall. 1864Tennyson Aylmer's F. 194 A tongue that ruled the hour. 1866Newman Gerontius ad fin., And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
b. Used before numerals denoting years.
Now only with abbreviation, either in reference to certain historical events (see fifteen A. 2, forty-five), or in expressions denoting a particular decade of a century or of a person's life (see eighty 2 b, fifty B. 2 b, etc.).
1724R. Wodrow Life J. Wodrow (1828) 60 Elizabeth died..about the 1684 of a consumption. a1776Ld. Auchinleck in Scotch Acts (1844) I. Pref. 188, I take this Manuscript to have been wrote before the 1500, and it is clear it was not wrote before the 1455. a1797,1814[see fifteen A. 2]. 1824Scott Redgauntlet ch. xi, Ye have heard of a year they call the Forty-five. 1862Burton Bk. Hunter iii. 261 Dispersed over the Highlands to keep them in order after the '45. 1880,1889[see fifty B. 2]. Mod. I think it was in the early eighties.
c. the day, the morn, the night, in Sc. and north. dial. = to-day, to-morrow, to-night.
a1300[see morn 3 c, d]. 13..Cursor M. (Cott.) 702 Þe sun was þat time..Seuen sith brighter þen þe dai [so Fairf.; Gött. to-day]. c1475Rauf Coilȝear 301 Cum the morne to the Court. a1692in ‘J. Curate’ Sc. Presb. Eloq. iii. 106, I have brought him to you the day. a1800in Burns' Wks. (1800) I. 363 For he's far aboon Dunkel the night. 1814[see day n. 13 b (b)].
3. Before the name of a unique object or one so considered, or of which there is only one at a time; e.g. the sun, the earth, the sea, the sky, the air, the world, the universe, the Almighty, the Lord, the Messiah, the Saviour, the Gospel, the Bible, the abyss, the pit, the Devil, the Emperor, the Pope, the Kaiser, the Sultan, the Shah, etc.
c975Rushw. Gosp. John iv. 6 Ðe hælend forðon woeriᵹ wæs of gonge. a1000Boeth. Metr. xxvi. 6 Aulixes under hæfde þæm casere cynericu twa. c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 254 Seo eorðe stent on ælemiddan. Ibid. 268 Seo sæ and se mona ᵹeþwærlæcað him betweonan. Ibid. 274 Seo lyft, þonne heo astyred is, byð wind. a1225Ancr. R. 82 Þe deouel..is leas, and leasunges feder. a1240Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 185 Iwend me from the worlde. c1400Brut xxxvi. 33 Þe Emperoure..he..ordeynede a stronge power. c1400Apol. Loll. 28 Bi lawe..of þe kirk,..ilk prest haþ þe same power to vse þe key in to ani man in þo poynt of deþ, as þe pope. 1580in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. I. 69 To the Tuission of Thallmightie. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. i. 32 The Sunne, that measures heaven all day long. 1611Bible Ps. xxiv. 1 The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof. 1748Chesterfield Lett. 31 May, Sixtus the Vth..raised himself to the Popedom by his abilities. 1842Tennyson Beggar Maid ii, As shines the moon in clouded skies.
b. With names of rivers, as the Amazon, the Thames; of mountains, groups of islands, or regions, in the plural, as the Alps, the Azores, the Indies; of places or mountains, in the sing., now only when felt to be descriptive, as the Land's End, the Lizard, the High Street, the Oxford Road, the Jungfrau, the Matterhorn, or when the has come down traditionally, as the Lennox, the Merse; exceptionally in the Tyrol. Formerly often used more widely. Also forming part of the present and former names of certain countries, as the Argentine, the Congo, The Gambia, the Lebanon, the Sudan, the Yemen; with the names of streets, locally with ellipsis of the word Street.
c893K. ælfred Orosius i. i. §21 Seo Wisle is swyðe mycel ea... Seo Wisle lið ut of Weonodlande, and lið in Estmere. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 164 Þat oþer wonder is Vpe þe hul of þe pek. Ibid. 4740 Wippe was king of þe march, & adelfred of humberlond. 1632Massinger & Field Fatal Dowry ii. i, I would they were at the Bermudas! 1653Holcroft Procopius, Goth. Wars ii. 43 When the Vesuvius casts out cynders. 1761Char. in Ann. Reg. 52/1 The Devizes. 1784Cowper Task iii. 583 Th' Azores send Their jessamine. 1814Scott Wav. xxxix, The travellers now..reached the Torwood. 1822― Nigel x, I should like to see the broad Tay once more before I die; not even the Thames can match it, in my mind. 1842Prichard Nat. Hist. Man (ed. 2) 467 The Tupi, or native inhabitants of the Brazils. 1853, etc. [see high n. 1 c]. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xviii. IV. 119 From the Land's End to the Straits of Dover. 1920G. Bell Let. 14 Mar. (1927) II. xviii. 484 On my way home I went to see Frank Balfour..and heard from him the afternoon's news which was that Faisal had been crowned King of Syria and Abdullah King of the Iraq. 1951Duke of Windsor King's Story xii. 209 Britain had an investment of {pstlg}400,000,000 in the Argentine. 1959Chambers's Encycl. VIII. 431/2 In internal affairs the Lebanon had to face considerable economic and financial difficulties after the end of the 1939–45 war. Ibid. XIV. 796/1 In March 1958 a federal link was established between the Yemen and the United Arab Republic. 1959Even. Standard 31 Dec. 8/6, I am home from the Argentine and would like to link up with some of my old friends. 1975J. I. M. Stewart Gaudy xii. 225 The industrious little whirr of his camera was for a moment the only sound in the Broad. Ibid. 228, I had crossed Broad Street and was walking down the Turl. 1981Church Times 6 Nov. 14/5 The Hoopoo had nested in his walls when he was in the Yemen. 1984Times 18 Feb. 1/2 Princess Anne's four-day visit to The Gambia brings an extra air of festivity and importance to a tiny African country.
c. With names of natural phenomena, seasons, etc., as the spring, the summer, the autumn, the winter, the day, the night; the wind, the cold, the clouds, etc.; of the points of the compass, as the north, the east (in OE. usually without article).
c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 274 Se wind hæfð mistlice naman on bocum. a1300[see east n. 2]. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 953 Þe rayn rueled adoun, ridlande þikke. 1382Wyclif Matt. ii. 2 We han seyn his sterre in the este. c1440Alphabet of Tales 106 Vppon a fayr day, whar þe wynde blew. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 378 They That wing the liquid Air, or swim the Sea, Or haunt the Desart. 1784Cowper Task i. 749 God made the country, and man made the town. 1791― Odyss. ix. 194 The rosy-finger'd daughter of the dawn.
†d. Formerly sometimes used before abstract ns. See also death n. 2, 12, life 7, 7 b. Obs.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. iii. §3 Þa se Wisdom þa and seo Gesceadwisnes þis leoð asungen hæfdon. c897― Gregory's Past. C. iii. 35 On ðære ᵹesundfulnesse mon forᵹiett his selfes. Ibid. xxxiii. 214 Ða ᵹeðylde þe is modur..ealra mæᵹena..[he] forlett. c1450tr. De Imitatione iii. lxiii. 146 Þe pes stondiþ more in very mekenes þan in propre exaltacion. 14..Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 257 Ase..roust on þe knife, and ase deþ to þe life. c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xxi. 70 The prouost..cam sone toward the proude mayden in amours, and made to her the reuerence. Ibid. xxiii. 74 So cam he toward blanchardyn..And gaff hym the goode nyght. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxxiii. [ccxix.] 695 If Lamorabaquy wolde gyue them the herynge. 1588Allen Admon. 11 A verie fable to the posterite.
4. With a class-name, to indicate the individual example most familiar to one, or with which one is primarily or locally concerned, e.g. the King, the Emperor (in mod. use), the Lord Mayor, the Town, the House, the Court, the Tower, the Abbey, the River, the Channel, the Flood, the Reformation, the Revolution; the Gospel, the Epistle (for the day).
c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1106, To Eastran wæs se cyng æt Baðan. Ibid. an. 1120, An se arcebiscop Turstein..wearð þurh þone papan wið þone cyng acordad. a1154Ibid. an. 1140, Sume helden mid te king and sume mid þemperice. c1175Lamb. Hom. 3 Seggeð þet þe lauerd haued þar-of neode. Ibid. 5 Ȝe iherden er on þe godspel hu ure drihten sende his .ii. apostles. a1300Cursor M. 20502 Þan spac þat leuedi..to þapostlis euerilkan. a1568R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 68 Ye great ones in ye Court. 1621H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (Camden) 16 To make his answere here at the barre. 1666Evelyn Diary 13 Sept., The Queene was..in her cavalier riding habite. 1689Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) I. 557 The house of commons..ordered..that the then judges should attend the house. 1837Sir F. Palgrave Merch. & Friar Ded. (1844) 1 Any bibliopolist, in or out of the Row. 1845[see house n.1 4 d]. 1875Tennyson Q. Mary i. i, He swears by the Rood.
5. Formerly with names of branches of learning, arts, crafts, games, and pursuits. Now chiefly dial. Also generally with gerundial vbl. ns. (arch.).
c1325[see chess n.1 1]. 1470–85Malory Arthur ix. xvii. 363 On a day kynge Mark played at the chesse. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 37 The Mathematickes, and the Metaphysickes Fall to them. c1643Ld. Herbert Autobiog. (1824) 89 Any man thought worth the looking on. 1739Chesterfield Lett. (1774) I. 122 As you are now reading the Roman History. 1768H. St. John in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1843) II. 309, I regret the badness of our climate, and the being obliged to pass the remainder of my life in [it]. 1824Mrs. Cameron Pink Tippet iv. 22 What was the use of my getting you taught the dress-making? 1887Wellington Weekly News 3 Feb. (E.D.D.), Apprentices and improvers wanted to the millinery, to the dressmaking, to the currying. 1901Union Mag. Apr. 150/1, I wad raither hae seen ye at the joinerin' like masel'.
6. With names of literary or musical compositions, as plays, poems, anthems, etc.; also of newspapers and periodicals. Also with names of paintings and sculptures.
a1225Ancr. R. 18 Þus doð..et te biginnunge of þe Venite. 1705Addison Remarks on Several Parts of Italy 349, I have seen on coins..the Hercules Farnese, the Venus of Medicis, the Apollo in the Belvidere, and the famous Marcus Aurelius on Horseback. a1706Evelyn Diary an. 1693 (1955) V. 147, I..saw & indeede admired the Venus of Coreggio. 1780Mirror No. 99 ⁋7 The Orestes of the Greek poet. 1810Scott Let. in Smiles Mem. J. Murray (1891) I. 190 ‘Kehama’..will get it roundly in the Edinburgh Review. 1845Gosse Ocean iv. (1849) 159 Plato, in the Timæus, gives the fullest account. 1845Encycl. Metropolitana IX. 408 The Apollo Belvidere, the Venus de Medicis, and the Laocoon, have for ages been regarded as the highest possible models of excellence. a1912Mod. The Times has a leading article on the subject. 1984Times 13 Sept. 13/4 Difficult to think of an art theft with greater sex appeal than that of the Mona Lisa.
7. Formerly with names of languages; now only in consciously elliptical phrases, as from the German (sc. language or original).
The degree of ellipsis is not easy to determine.
1593Nashe Four Lett. Confut. Wks. (Grosart) II. 263 To borrowe some lesser quarry of elocution from the Latine. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. i. ii. 77 You will..sweare that I haue a poore pennie-worth in the English. 1760Portia, Polite Lady xi. 28 Let not your studying the French make you neglect the English. 1795Southey Lett. fr. Spain xxii. (1799) 294 Every advantage that..a complete knowledge of the Arabic could afford. 1823Cobbett Gram. Eng. Lang. xix. 131 It is the same word, you see, in both instances; but you will see it different in the French. a1912Mod. A new translation directly from the Hebrew. 1922Chesterton Eugenics & Other Evils i. i. 11, I am content to answer that ‘chivalrous’ is not the French for ‘horsy’. 1934Webster p. lxxxii/1, The modern descendants of the Latin are called the Romance languages. They include the Italian, the Spanish, the Portuguese [etc.]. a1965B. Higgins Northern Fiddler (1966) 34 ‘I'm corrupt’ he said to me in the French, ‘I think I live in corruption's stench.’
8. a. With names of diseases, ailments, etc.
Still in common use side by side with forms without the definite article.
c1000Sax. Leechd. II. 314 Wið þære ᵹeolwan adle..ᵹenim þæs scearpan þistles moran and betonican. a1300Cursor M. 11819 In his heued he has þe scall Þe scab ouer-gas his bodi all. Ibid. 11825 Þe gutte þe potagre. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 325, I cacche þe crompe, þe cardiacle. c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 281 It is myn entencioun to speke of þe dropesie. Ibid. 293 Of þe cancre and þe mormole. 1480,1500–20[see pock n. 2 a]. 1660Gauden Brownrig 225 Sharp fits of the stone. 1671C'tess Warwick Autobiog. (Percy Soc.) 9, I..fell..ill of the measles. 1743–1831 [see influenza]. 1787[J. Beattie] Scoticisms 91 He has got the cold, the fever. 1809Southey Let. to Landor 23 Apr., in Life (1850) III. 228, I instantly recognised the sound of the croup. 1839― Let. to Mrs. Hodson 18 Feb. ibid. VI. 381 A serious attack of the influenza. a1912Mod. (familiar) I have the toothache. 1961I. Fleming Thunderball i. 10 His secretary had gone down with the flu. 1972Time 17 Apr. 41/2 Shortly before he was scheduled to make his first space flight aboard Apollo 13 two years ago, the longtime bachelor..was accidently exposed to the German measles.
b. With colloq. or humorous names of afflictions, as the blues, collywobbles, creeps, D.T.'s, habdabs, heebie-jeebies, jitters, etc., q.v. Hence in analogous nonce-expressions.
1976Publishers Weekly 11 Oct. 90/3 The case of the ‘cutes’ infecting text and pictures. 1976Listener 11 Nov. 626/2 The whole story, like the chateau, has an unmistakable touch of the Enid Blytons.
9. Elliptically with the names of ships, as the (ship) Nicholas, and of taverns, as the Mermaid (tavern), theatres, and other well-known buildings.
1450Paston Lett. I. 125 He was yn the Nicolas tyl Saturday next folwyng. 1480J. Warkworth Chron. (Camden) 13 Casten in presone in the Marchalse at London. 1521in Essex Rev. XIII. 221 Out of the Barbara and the Mayflower, if God send them well home. a1616Beaumont To Ben Jonson , What things have we seen Done at the Mermaid! 1710Swift Jrnl. to Stella 15 Oct., Prior and I..sat at the Smyrna till eleven. 1779Mirror No. 32 ⁋5 Stopping at the George on his way home. 1905Daily Chron. 24 Oct. 3/4 heading, Playlet at the Coliseum. Mod. The Mauretania has made a record passage.
10. Before higher titles of rank, as the Emperor, King, Prince, Grand Duke, Marquess, Earl, Count (but exc. in formal use not now when followed by the name, as King George, Prince Edward, Duke Humphrey, Earl Grey, Earl Simon), and with the corresponding female titles Queen, Duchess, etc.; also with some courtesy titles, as the Right Honourable, the Honourable, the Reverend, etc. See further lord, lady, and the other titles.
c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1090, Se eorl of Normandiᵹe. Ibid. an. 1117, Se cyng of France and se eorl of Flandra. 1340Ayenb. 76 Þe leuedy fortune went hare hueȝel eche daye. 1472Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 39 Robert of Racclyff weddyd the lady Dymmok. 1553in Rutland Papers (Camden) 119 Therle of Oxford claymeth thoffice of great chamberlayne of England. 1603Sir R. Wilbraham Diary (Camden) 60 The lord Thomas Howard made erle of Suffolk. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. iii. 94 The Marchionesse of Pembrooke. 1707E. Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. ii. xv. (ed. 22) 188 The Lord Chief Justice. 1794Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho l, ‘The Chevalier Valancourt!’ said Emily, trembling extremely. 1827Edin. Weekly Jrnl. 28 Feb., The absence of the Right Hon. the Lord Provost. 1935C. Hamilton Pillion 25 He was the third son of Colonel the Hon. Almeric Sounds Sharnal Piers Clement Piers, late of the Rifle Brigade. 1939E. Bax Miss Bax of Embassy xviii. 238 Someone is always dashing in to ask me questions like{ddd}is Lady V. The Lady or only Lady? 1943H. Saunders Combined Operations vii. 52 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes was succeeded as Director of Combined Operations by Captain the Lord Louis Mountbatten. 1981Daily Tel. 5 Nov. 16/2 Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms under the command of the Lord Denham.
b. With the surnames of some Irish and Scottish chiefs of clans, as the O'Gorman Mahon, the Chisholm, the MacNab.
1561Inverness Sheriff Crt. Records II. 15 Apr. (MS.), [Sederunt] the Dollace of Cantray. 1562Ibid. 7 Apr., The jugis hes consignit hir to produce the samyn and to wairne the Dollace upon ane xv dayis warning. 1847Thackeray Mrs. Perkins's Ball i. 4, I became acquainted with the Mulligan through a distinguished countryman..who..did not know the chieftain himself. 1880A. M. Shaw Mackintoshes p. xxvii, Moy Hall, the residence of The Mackintosh. 1910Daily Chron. 1 Feb. 4/6 Three ‘Thes’ have sat in the House of Commons in our time—The O'Conor Don, The O'Donoghue of the Glens, and The O'Gorman Mahon. The MacDermott, K.C.,..was an Irish law officer in Liberal Governments.
c. Before names and titles of men, often in ME. a corruption of F. de, as in Robert the Bruce, Sir Simon the Montfort, the Mortimer, etc. arch.
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11134 Sir Roger þe Mortimer. 1375Barbour Bruce i. 67 That..Robert the brwys, Erle of carryk Aucht to succeid to the kynryk. Ibid. 435 The Clyffurd sall thaim haiff. c1450Brut 427 The Erle of Somersette and his brothir, and the Fytz-Watir. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. iii. 37 Charles. A Parley with the Duke of Burgonie. Burg. Who craues a Parley with the Burgonie? 1814Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxvii, As heroes think, so thought the Bruce.
d. Before the names of well-known singers, actresses, etc., in imitation of French and Italian usage. Also slang and sometimes derogatory, with a woman's surname or nickname. Cf. La, la.
1730O. Swiny Let. 29 July in R. B. Peake Mem. Colman Family (1841) I. 18 If he does not, then we must provide a soprano man, and a contr'alto woman (though the Merighi stays). 1786A. M. Bennett Juvenile Indiscretions V. 32 The Siddons. 1796Publ. Advert. 18 Nov. in T. Campbell Life Mrs. Siddons II. viii. 201 Last night the Siddons and the Kemble, at Drury Lane, acted to vacancy. 1822in Byron's Wks. (1846) 585/1 The Guiccioli was present. 1845Disraeli Sybil v. vii, Well, what do you think of the Dashville, Fitz? 1922Dialect Notes V. 143 [At] Somerville..‘The Pen’ is the Lady Principal, Miss Penrose, ‘The Darb’, Miss Derbyshire, etc. 1930Wodehouse Very Good, Jeeves! iv. 96 The Bellinger..had sung us a few songs before digging in at the trough. 1973― Bachelors Anonymous xii. 155 The Fitch was at the hair stylist's having a permanent.
11. spec. Used emphatically, in the sense of ‘the pre-eminent’, ‘the typical’, or ‘the only..worth mentioning’; as ‘Cæsar was the general of Rome’, i.e. the general par excellence; the being often stressed in speech |ðiː|, and printed in italics.
1824L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 257 In the history of Henry the fourth, by Father Daniel, we are surprised at not finding him the great man. 1829Carlyle Misc., Germ. Playwr. (1872) II. 97 Dr. Klingemann..so superlative is his vigour..we might even designate him the Playwright. 1863R. B. Kimball Was he Successful? vi. (Cent.), Joel Burns was a rich man, as well as the man of the place. 1865Lubbock Preh. Times 131 The axe was pre-eminently the implement of antiquity. 1904S. G. Tallentyre Life Voltaire II. xxxv. 144 His Commentary remains unrivalled, and is still the text-book on Corneille.
12. With any part of the body of a person previously named or indicated, instead of the corresponding possessive pronoun; as ‘he took him by the hand’, i.e. his hand. So with heart, soul, used fig.; also with parts of personal attire.
1154O.E. Chron. an. 1137, Me henged [heom] up bi the fet..bi the þumbes, other bi the hefed. 13..K. Alis. (Bodl. MS.) 2276 Fulbor he smoot vpon þe rygge. 1390Gower Conf. II. 213 That love..Ne schal noght take hem by the slieve. c1460Towneley Myst. xxiv. 115, I shall knap hym on the crowne That standys in my gate. 1583–93Greene Mamillia ii. Wks. (Grosart) II. 220 Ruffes of a Syse, stiffe starcht to the necke. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. ii. ii. 206 To put the finger in the eie and weepe. 1789Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France I. 306 Heavy lace robbins ending at the elbow. 1838Dickens O. Twist lii, To be hanged by the neck, till he was dead. 1847Tennyson Princess vii. 209–12 Pale was the perfect face..And the voice trembled and the hand.
b. Used colloquially with names of relatives, as the wife, the mother = my (your) wife, mother.
1838J. M. Wilson Tales Borders No. 210 (1839) V. 9/1 What shall I say to the wife? 1853‘C. Bede’ Verdant Green i. vii, ‘It's a long while since the governor was here’, remarked Mr. Charles Larkyns, very unfilially. 1888The Mater [see mater 3]. 1891Duncan Amer. Girl in Lond. 82 The mother and sisters would like to call upon you. 1900The pater..the mater [see pater 3]. 1901W. Churchill R. Carvell xliv, [I] sent off an express to Patty and the Mother last night.
c. Before own (a. 2 b) and self (C. 1 c), q.v.
13. Used before names of weights and measures, in stating a rate: as (so much) the pound, gallon, yard, day, etc. Cf. a adj.2 4, per III. 2.
1426–7Rec. St. Mary at Hill 65, iiijc hert latthe, pris þe hondrid, vij d..ijml traunsum, þe ml x d. 1488–9Act 4 Hen. VII, c. 22 Sold for iij li. sterling the pack. 1551–2Act 5 & 6 Edw. VI, c. 6 §1 That all colored Clothes..shall waye fourscore pounde the pece at the lest. 1596–7S. Finche in Hist. Croydon App. (1783) 153 Brick⁓layers..have xv d. apeece the day. 1631Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 418 Appointing them xii d. the weeke to each person. 1796Southey Lett. fr. Spain (1799) 118 They are very dear, ten reales the couple. 1851Mayhew Lond. Labour II. 284/2 The sherds run about 250 pieces to the bushel.
b. So with prepositions by, in, † on.., chiefly with reference to time, as (so much) by the day = (so much) each day.
1477–8Rec. St. Mary at Hill 79 Paid to Sir Iohn Colyns..at viij s. iiij d. by the quarter. 1530Tindale Answ. More iii. i. Wks. (1572) 304/2, I finde in all ages that men..haue suffred death by the hundred thousandes in resisting their doctrine. 1533Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. VI. 151 To Thomas Scott passing in Ingland with writtingis and credence to the King..to him on the day iij li. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. iv. 33 What should you doe, But knock 'em downe by th' dozens? 1632Lithgow Trav. vi. 298 The Dromidory..will ride aboue 80 miles in the day. 1727Pope, etc. Art Sinking xiii. 116 It may be..let out by the day. 1848Dickens Dombey xxxix, He would sit and avail himself of its accommodations..by the half-hour together. 1883Sir J. C. Day in Law Rep. 12 Q.B. Div. 206 Etymologically considered, a journeyman is one who is employed by the day.
** Marking an object not before mentioned, but now identified by a clause, phrase, or word.
14. Where the object is defined by a relative clause, the stands before the object. (The relative pronoun may be suppressed: cf. that rel. pron. 10.)
In mod. Eng. more emphatically expressed by that: see that dem. a. 3. The OE. form did not distinguish these: þæt spell may be rendered ‘that story’ or ‘the story’.
a900tr. Bæda's Hist. Pref. (1890) 2 Ic ðe sende þæt spell, þæt ic niwan awrat be Angel ðeode & Seaxum. 971Blickl. Hom. 71 Seo meniᵹo þe þær beforan ferde. c975Rushw. Gosp. Mark ii. 4 Þa bere in ðære þe eorð-crypel læᵹ. c1000Sax. Leechd. III. 104 Þæt sindon þe teþ þe þane mete brecaþ. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Þe holie tid þat me clepeð aduent. c1250O. Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 26 Te dai ase ure louerd..i-bore was. a1300Cursor M. 14705 Þe werckes þat i werc in his nam. 1382Wyclif Matt. ii. 9 Loo! the sterre, the whiche thei sayen in este, wente bifore hem. 1472J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 75, I am not the man I was. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 83 The man that hath no musicke in himselfe..Is fit for treasons [etc.]. 1697T. Brown Dispens. i. Wks. 1709 III. iii. 67, I have known the Time, when I could go out and pick up 10 or 12 l. in a Morning. 1715–20Pope Iliad xxiv. 256 Let us give To grief the wretched days we have to live. 1784Cowper Task iii. 141 The man, of whom His own coevals took but little note. 1805Wordsw. On Peele Castle, The light that never was, on sea or land. 1850J. H. Newman Diffic. Anglic. i. ii. (1891) I. 48 But the passage I have quoted suggests a second observation.
15. Where the object is defined by a following phrase with prep. (esp. of, repr. an OE. genitive).
971Blickl. Hom. 55 Þeh he..ᵹehyre þa word þæs halᵹan godspelles. c1121O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1116, On þisum ylcan ᵹeare bærnde eall þæt mynstre of Burh. 1122Ibid., Se burch on Gleaweceastre. c1175Lamb. Hom. 53 Heo habbeð þe nome of cristene. c1290Edmund Conf. 387 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 442 In þe toun of wyricestre bi-tidde þat selue cas. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 41 Tweie perilous places in þe see of myddel erþe. 1426–7Rec. St. Mary at Hill 65 Also þe thorisday in þe Whitson weke. 1513Douglas æneis ix. Prol. 7 Honeste is the way to worthynes. 1605Shakes. Macb. i. vii. 45 Like the poore Cat i' th' Addage. a1734North Exam. i. i. §23 (1740) 26 In the telling of this Story. 1764Gray Candidate 12 Just like the picture in Rochester's book. 1824Bentham Bk. Fallacies Introd. vii, The Sir Charles Sedley of political morality. 1870Morris Earthly Par., Jan. 42 Midmost the time 'twixt noon and dusk. 1908R. Bridges Sel. Poems R. W. Dixon (1909) p. xii, The Oxford of 1850 was singularly unsympathetic.
b. With an object defined by an infinitive phrase with to (where the may sometimes be rendered ‘that..needed or proper..’).
c1384Chaucer H. Fame iii. 966 Alle the folke that ys a lyve Ne han the kunnynge to discryve The thinges that I herde there. 1642Milton Sonn. viii. 13 The power To save th' Athenian Walls from ruine bare. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 225 We had the Comfort to be pittied. 1780Cowper Progress of Error in Wks. (1905) 29 The creature is so sure to kick and bite, A muleteer's the man to set him right. 1813Jane Austen Pride & Prej. I. xiii. 142, I shall not be the person to discourage him. 1850J. H. Newman Diffic. Anglic. i. iii. (1891) I. 80, I am not the person to be jealous of such facts.
c. With an object particularized by a pple.
1658Phillips, Salii, the 12 Priests of Mars instituted by Numa Pompilius. 1876Rogers Pol. Econ. (ed. 3) ix. 81 The privileges accorded..to the merchants of the Hanse Towns. a1912Mod. The book lying on your table.
16. The stands before a n. defined by another n. (usually a proper name) in apposition, as the poet Virgil.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §8 Se hehsta beorᵹ Olimpus. Ibid. §9 On westende Affrica, neh þam beorᵹe Athlans. 1070O.E. Chron., Toforan þam papan Alexandre. c1175Lamb. Hom. 73 Of clene liflade spec þe prophete isaias. c1200Ormin Ded. 257 Þatt..boc..Apokalypsis..Uss wrat te posstell Sannt Johan. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7956 Þe king..made..þe bissop ode..vorsuerie engelond. 1529Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) I. 325 The Jentylwoman your wyff. 1634Milton Comus 442 The huntress Dian.
b. More usually the proper name precedes. (Regularly so when the whole phrase becomes a recognized appellation, as William the Conqueror.)
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xii. 39 Becon iones ðæs witᵹo [Rushw. tacen Ionas se witᵹa]. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. iii. 1 On þam daᵹum com iohannes se fulluhtere. c1175Lamb. Hom. 73 And dauid þe prophete spekeð in an salm. 13..Stac. Rome (Vernon MS.) 238 Seint Ion þe Ewangelist. c1400Brut 299 About seint Lukes day þe euangglist. 1599Nashe Lenten Stuffe (1871) 23 Their barony by William the Conqueror, conveyed over to them. 1906Edin. Rev. Oct. 334 Bourdalone the physician was another favourite.
c. With a n. characterizing the trade or profession of the person whose name precedes. local (esp. in Wales).
1894Somerville & ‘Ross’ Real Charlotte I. iv. 40 Norry the Boat, daughter of Shaunapickeen, the ferry⁓man (whence her title). 1951W. Morum Gabriel ii. vii. 230 He thought Larry the Groan far worse. The effeminate singer..was positively embarrassing. 1974Times 27 Apr. 15/8 The Welsh tradition of referring to people by the names of their jobs, as Jones the Post or Davis the Bread. 1980R. H. Lewis Cracking of Spines vii. 113 ‘The prospective client,’..I assumed a Welsh accent. ‘Matt the Book.’
17. The is used with a n. particularized or described by an adjective. The adj. usually precedes, but sometimes follows the n.: in either case the stands first as the good man, the church militant.
(An adj. or pple. with a modifying additon regularly follows the n., as ‘the grass wet with dew’, ‘the tools needed for the work’: cf. 15 c.)
A particularizing adj. often becomes a permanent epithet, as in the Black Prince, the Lesser Bear, the Red Campion, the Great Exhibition, the Green Park, the Yellow Sea, the Count or County Palatine, the Prince Imperial; the adj. and n. may then be treated as name of a unique object, as in 3.
c860O.E. Chron. an. 853, Þy ilcan ᵹeare sende æþelwulf cyning ælfred his sunu to Rome. 885Ibid., Se fore sprecena here. c888K. ælfred Boeth. xl. §4 Her endað sio fiorðe boc..and onginð sio fifte. 971Blickl. Hom. 5 Se heofonlica cyning. 1008–11Laws of æthelred vi. c. 22 §1 On þam halᵹan dæᵹe. c1175Lamb. Hom. 5 Þa oðre men..stiȝen uppeon þe godes cunnes treowe. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1491 Among the goddes hye it is affermed..Thou shalt [etc.]. c1400Brut 26 She was þe ryȝt heire of þis lande. 1413Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) v. vi. (1859) 76 The chirche militant, that laboureth here in erthe. a1536Calisto & Melibæa in Hazl. Dodsley I. 64 The mighty and perdurable God be his guide. 1575Gascoigne Making of Verse in Steele Gl., etc. (Arb.) 37 Vse your verse after thenglishe phrase. 1662Pepys Diary 20 Oct., Saw the so much desired by me picture of my Lady Castlemaine. 1710Steele Tatler No. 208 ⁋1 They had the quite contrary Effect. 1750Gray Elegy xiv, The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean. 1819Shelley Prometh. Unb. iii. iii, The progeny immortal Of Painting, Sculpture, and rapt Poesy. 1863H. Cox Instit. i. xi. 262 The Long or Pensionary Parliament of Charles II. 1866S. J. Stone Hymn, ‘The Church's one Foundation’ iv, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
b. So with proper names of persons or places: e.g. the judicious Hooker.
c. But when the adj. becomes a permanent epithet, the and the adj. usually follow: e.g. Alfred the Great; so with ordinal numerals following names of sovereigns or popes, as Edward the Seventh.
b.c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §8 Þæt land þe mon hætt seo læsse Asia. c1420? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 269 Sate the good Iupyter. 1513Douglas æneis x. i. 39 The fresch goldyn Venus. 1632Milton L'Allegro 86 Their savory dinner..Which the neat-handed Phillis dresses. 1743Emerson Fluxions Pref. 13 The divine Newton (whose Works will last as long as the Sun and Moon). 1906F. Thompson To Eng. Martyrs 163 That utterance..Of the doomed Leonidas.
c.c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. iv. 36 Be ðæm cwæð Salomon se snottra. 971Blickl. Hom. 15 Hit is Hælend se Nazarenisca. a1000Byrhtnoth 273 (Gr.) Þa ᵹit on orde stod Eadweard se langa. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1861 Seint eleyne þe gode. c1400Gower In Praise of Peace 1 O worthi noble kyng, Henry the ferthe. 1484Caxton Curial 5 For to them whom fortune the variable hath most hyely lyfte up. 1558Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889) 475 Patrick Fitz Symon, theldor, and William Byrsall, the yonger. 1686[Allix] Dissert. i. in W. Hopkins Ratramnus' Body & Bl. (1688) 8 Charles the bald chose to consult him. Mod. George the Fourth's Bridge in Edinburgh.
18. spec. When a n. is particularized by a superlative, or by an ordinal number (see also 17 c), the latter is regularly preceded by the.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §22 Se man se þæt swiftoste hors hafað. 971Blickl. Hom. 5 Deofol..beswac þone ærestan wifmon. c1000Ags. Gosp. John i. 39 Hit wæs þa seo teoðe tid [Lindisf. ðio teiᵹða]. c1000–a 1225 [see fifth]. a1225Ancr. R. 60 Eien beoð.. te ereste armes of lecheries pricches. c1300Havelok 9 He was þe wic[h]teste man at nede. 1601Shakes. Jul. C. iii. ii. 187 This was the most vnkindest cut of all. 1626C. Potter tr. Sarpi's Hist. Quarrels 110 The most Potent Princes of Italy. 1748Smollett Rod. Rand. l, In terms the most hyperbolical. 1759S. Fielding C'tess of Dellwyn I. 149 Ready to take fire at every the least Provocation. 1848Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton ix, Th'longest lane will have a turning. 1890Ld. Esher in Law Times Rep. LXIII. 692/1 The case..is of the greatest possible weight. a1912Mod. The first Consul; the hundredth time.
b. The also stands before the same adjs. when used absolutely.
c1000ælfric Gram. xlix. (Z.) 282 Sextus, se sixta. c1175Pater Noster in Lamb. Hom. 69 Þet ðridde is þes monnes wil. 1340Ayenb. 33–4 Þer byeþ zix poyns [of sloth]..þe uerste is onboȝsamnesse..þe þridde is grochynge. 1470–85Malory Arthur xx. viii. 811 Amonge the thyckest of the prees. 1526Tindale Matt. xviii. 1 Who is the greatest in the kyngdom of heven? 1622in Seton Life Earl of Dunfermline vi. (1882) 141 note, [He] took sickness the first of June 1622. 1779Mirror No. 27 ⁋1 With the best and most affectionate of husbands. 1779Warner in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1844) IV. 14 Your letter of Tuesday the 19th, was brought to me on Monday. 1799Southey Let. to T. Southey 5 Jan. in Life (1850) II. 3 These vile taxes will take twenty pounds from me, at the least. 1852M. Arnold Youth of Nat. 71 Too deep for the most to discern. a1912Mod. The third appears to be the best.
II. Referring to a term used generically or universally.
* With a singular n.
19. Before the name of an animal, plant, or precious stone, used generically.
Not now used with man or woman, exc. as opposed to child, boy, girl, or the like: cf. the dog is the friend of man, man has tamed the dog; the child is father of the man; you can see the woman in the little girl. Formerly se man, séo fǽmne: cf. Ger. der mensch, F. l'homme.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xli. §6 Ac se mann ana gæþ uprihte. c893― Oros. iii. xi. §3 Þonne seo leo bringð his hungreᵹum hwelpum hwæt to etanne. c1175Lamb. Hom. 53 Þe tadde..ne mei itimien to eten hire fulle. a1225Juliana 20 Hire leofliche leor..rudi as þe rose. 13..K. Alis. (Bodl. MS.) 1819 Men dreden hym..So chalf þe bere, & shep þe wolf. c1440Lydg. Hors, Shepe, & G. 344 The Goos may gagle, the hors may prike & praunce..A-geyn the lamb. 1553Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 14 The Diamande is engendred in the mynes of India, Ethiopia,..and Cyprus. a1584Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 21 The hart, the hynd, the dae, the rae, The fowmart, and the foxe. 1622Drayton Poly-olb. xx. 45 The Colewort, Colifloure, and Cabidge in their season. 1727–46Thomson Summer 147 At thee the ruby lights its deepening glow. 1797Holcroft Stolberg's Trav. (ed. 2) II. xliv. 93 They sell the heifer to the butcher. 1832Macaulay Ess., Burghley (1887) 236 Burleigh..was of the willow, and not of the oak. 1854Bushnan in Circ. Sc. I. 290/2 It purrs like the Cat.
b. Generally, with the name of anything used as the type of its class; e.g. with the names of musical instruments, tools, etc.
c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. iii. 10 Ys seo [Hatton syo] æx to ðæra treowa wurtrumum asett. c1300Havelok 2329 Þer mouhte men here..Þe gleymen on þe tabour dinge. c1450Holland Howlat 759 The rote, and the recordour,..The trumpe, and the talburn. 1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie i. xix. (Arb.) 57 To be..song to the harpe. 1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 454 A red morne that..betokend, Wracke to the sea-man, tempest to the field. 1614B. Jonson Barth. Fair iii. ii, A notable hot Baker 'twas when hee ply'd the peele. 1711Steele Spect. No. 52 ⁋3 The renowned British Hippocrates of the pestle and mortar. 1746Francis Horace, Epist. i. x. 7 You keep the Nest, I love the rural Mead, The Brook, the mossy Rock and woody Glade. 1784Cowper Task ii. 629 The rout is folly's circle. 1814Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxiii, The lad can deftly touch the lute, And on the rote and viol play. 1839Lytton Richelieu ii. ii. 308 The pen is mightier than the sword. 1906Edin. Rev. Oct. 448 Zola has democratised the novel in another fashion.
c. Before body, mind, soul, or parts, functions, and attributes of these. (See also body n. 1, mind n. 17.)
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxiv. §3 Seo fæᵹernes..þæs lichoman. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 25 Hu nys seo sawl selre þonne mete. c1175Lamb. Hom. 153 Ine þe eren. a1225Ancr. R. 4 Þe oðer riwle is al wiðuten, & riwleð þe licome. 13..K. Alis. (Bodl. MS.) 6245 A folk..rouȝ as bere to þe honde. c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 103 Rychesse..ryven þe soule. c1400tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 85 His effect is properly to comforte þe brayn, þe herte, and þe stomak. 1500–20Dunbar Poems xlvii. 6 Trew luve rysis fro the splene. 1594R. Ashley tr. Loys le Roy 24 Nothing offending, or displeasing the eare. 1692South Serm. (1697) I. 361 How accidentally oftentimes does the thing..offer it self to the mind. 1736Butler Anal. i. i. 30 To think the eye itself a percipient. 1841Thackeray Men & Pictures 109 [They] pall on the palate.
d. With names of days of the week, as on the Monday, i.e. on Monday of any or every week, on Mondays generally.
1340Ayenb. 213 Þe zonday is more holy þanne þe zeterday. c1450J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine 16 Þat sche used to fast þe Satirday. c1500–1671 [see Saturday 1]. 1854Macaulay Speeches 409 On the Sunday he goes perhaps to Church. Ibid. 553 He returns to his labours on the Monday.
20. Before a word of individual meaning used as the type of a class of persons.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xii. 74 Ðæs biscepes weorc..ðæs hierdes life. Ibid. xiii. (heading), Hu se lareow sceal beon clæne on his mode. a900tr. Bæda's Hist. Pref. ii. (1890) 6 Ðone leornere ic nu..bidde and halsiᵹe. c1175Lamb. Hom. 27 Ah þenne þe preost hit deð in his muþe. a1225Ancr. R. 84 Þe vikelare ablent þene mon. 1388Wyclif Ps. xxxi[i.] 10 Many betyngis ben of the synnere. 1535Coverdale Isa. xliv. 13 The carpenter (or ymage caruer) taketh me the tymbre, and spredeth forth his lyne. 1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 334, I..craue patience of the catholike Reader. 1660Hexham Eng. Dutch Dict. (title-p.), A compendious Grammar for the Instruction of the Learner. 1681Dryden Abs. & Achit. 655 But where the witness failed, the prophet spoke. 1720Watts Mor. Songs i. i, 'Tis the voice of the Sluggard. 1787‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen (1809) 35 To ride with a lash whip; it shews the sportsman. 1843Macaulay Ess., Addison (1887) 791 Steele..was much of the rake and a little of the swindler. 1859Tennyson Enid 1280 As careful robins eye the delver's toil.
b. esp. in phr. to act, be, play the man, the soldier, etc. = to sustain the character of a man, a soldier, etc.; to do that which is manly, soldier-like, etc.: see play v. 34.
1426Audelay Poems (Percy Soc.) 29 Thai play not the fole. c1530H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture in Babees Bk. 84 Saue thy selfe, play the man, being compelde. 1642W. Price Serm. 40 Playing the drugsters or hucksters with it for gaine. 1719De Foe Crusoe (1840) I. iii. 47 To act the rebel. 1748Richardson Clarissa Wks. 1883 VII. 486, I will contrive to be the man. 1809–10Coleridge Friend iv. (1865) 93 To act the knave is but a round-about way of playing the fool.
21. With an adjective used absolutely, usually denoting an abstract notion: e.g. the beautiful, that which is beautiful. Also forming phrases with the preposition on, as on the cheap, quiet, sly, etc., q.v.
c1420? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 882 In stede of the bettyr the worse ther they ches. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. iii. 80, I will be free, Euen to the vttermost. 1748Smollett Rod. Rand. xxii, A nose inclining to the aquiline. 1756Burke (title) Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. 1850Tennyson In Mem. cvi. 8 Ring out the false, ring in the true. 1878T. Hardy Ret. Native vi. iii, There is too much reason why we should do the little we can to respect it now.
** With a pl. n. used universally.
22. With a n. in the plural, chiefly the name of a nation, class, or group of people, where the = ‘those who are’; ‘the{ddd}taken as a whole’. Also with family surnames, as ‘the Joneses are of Welsh origin’.
c1200Ormin 188 He shall turrnenn þurrh hiss spell þe trowwþelæse leode. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 87 Þe saxons..Seve kynges made in engelond. 1548W. Patten Exped. Scot. Pref. c ij b, Neyther the Grekes [nor] the Ruthens. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 246 The bodie..was afflicted on the East by the Persians, on the West by the Gothes. 1783Justamond tr. Raynal's Hist. Indies III. 380 The Rima..is not yet well know'n to the botanists. 1816Crabb Eng. Synonymes 139/2 The Tarquins were banished from Rome. 1906Edin. Rev. Oct. 429 These laws of sight the Greeks made it their business to analyse.
23. Before an adjective or participle having a plural application (usually of persons), as the poor, those who or such as are poor.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxiii. 175 Ða worold⁓wisan..ða dyseᵹan. a1300Prayer 26 in O.E. Misc. 193 Ȝieue þe hungrie mete and te nakede iwede. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. Prol. 18 Alle maner of men þe mene and þe riche. 1426Audelay Poems 7 Vysyte the seke. 1526Tindale John xii. 8 The povre all wayes shall ye have with you. 1671Milton P.R. iv. 157 Nothing will please the difficult and nice. 1742Gray Ode Spring ii, How low, how little are the Proud, How indigent the Great! 1812Byron Ch. Har. i. xxxiv, Here ceased the swift their race, here sunk the strong. 1817–18Shelley Rosalind & Helen 254–5 He was a coward to the strong: He was a tyrant to the weak.
b. A pa. pple. so used may retain its verbal construction or complement. (In this case those is now more used than the.)
c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxii. 3 He..clypode þa ᵹelaðodan to þam gyftum. 1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 49 Dignities which intitle the inuested with them, with a preheminence aboue all other persons. 1728Chambers Cycl. s.v. Jesuit, The professed of this order renounce..all preferment, and especially prelacy. 1817–18Shelley Rosalind & Helen 474 Thou knowest what a thing is Poverty Among the fallen on evil days.
C. As Demonstrative (or quasi-personal) pronoun. In late OE. and early ME., when þe was substituted for the earlier masc. se, and subsequently became the general form of the definite article (see A. 1 a β and 9), it was also used for some time as demonstrative pronoun, = the (man), that, he, esp. as antecedent to a relative; thus early ME. þe þe or þe þet for OE. se þe, = that (man) that, he that. The fem. was þéo þe (for OE. séo þe) she that; the pl. þá þe those that, they that. (The neuter was commonly þet þe or þette.)
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. iii. 3 Ðes is forðon ðe ðe [Rushw. seþe] ᵹecuoeden wæs ðerh esaias. Ibid. xv. 24 Ðe vel he [L. ipse] soðlice onduearde. c1175Lamb. Hom. 95 Þe ðet bið mid þen halia gast itend. Ibid. 109 Þe ðe deleð elmessan for his drihtnes luuan, þe bihut his gold hord on heouene riche. a1200Moral Ode 217 (MS. Eg.) Þe ðe [MS. J. þe þat] godes milce sechð, iwis he mai is [v. rr. ha, hi] finde. Ibid. 219 Þe ðe [v. rr. Se þet, Þe þat] deð his wille mest, he haueð wurst mede. a1225Ancr. R. 52 Mesire, þeo deð also þeo is betere þen ich am. Ibid. 86 Ase þe þe seið to þe knihte þet robbeð [etc.].
D. as n. with pl. thes.
1882‘Mark Twain’ Stolen White Elephant 269 You [English] say ‘out of window’; we always put in a the. 1907― Chr. Sci. ii. viii. 239, I uncover to that imperial word... The rare and..exclusive company of the the's of deathless glory..the Saviour..the Bible. 1959Amer. Speech XXXIV. 111 The Syrian student tends to put in the's where they are not needed. 1977Guardian Weekly 4 Dec. 4/1 If you are really serious about something and want to be taken seriously yourself, never, ever, under any circumstances, sully its name by putting a ‘the’ in front of it.
▪ II. † the, particle (conj., adv.), rel. pron. Obs.
Forms: 1–4 ðe, þe, (2 þæ, 2–3 þa).
[OE. þe, app. an unstresssed or worn-down case or derivative formation from the stem þa- of that dem. and rel. pron. Thought by some to be a worn-down locative case. Cf. Goth. þê-ei, þei, conj., similarly used.]
1. Used as a conjunction introducing clauses of various kinds: = that conj.
Beowulf 1334 Heo þa fæhðe wræc þe þu ᵹystran niht grendel cwealdest. Ibid. 1436 He on holme wæs sundes þe sænra ðe hyne swylt for-nam. c1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) cxliii. 4 Hwæt is se manna, mihtiᵹ Drihten, þe þu him cuðlice cyþan woldest? a1250Owl & Night. 941 Þe Nihtegale..wiste wel..þe wraþþe binymeþ monnes red.
b. spec. After comparatives: Than.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xliv. 318 Ne hie selfe ðy betran ne talien þe ða oðre. 971Blickl. Hom. 215 Ða he þa hæfde twæm læs þe twentiᵹ wintra. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 154 Þeos woruld..nis..ðe ᵹeliccre ðære ecan worulde, þe is sum cweartern leohtum dæᵹe. c1175Lamb. Hom. 151 If ȝe beoð strengre þe heo. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 119 Þe holi gost com..and alihte hem of brihtere and of festere bileue þe hie hedden er. a1250Owl & Night. 564 Na more þe deþ a wrecche wranne.
c. As correlative conjunction: ‘hwæþer..þe..’, ‘þe..þe..’, ‘whether..or..’.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxiv. §6 Hwæþer þincð þe þonne þæt þa þincg sien, ðe ðara soðena ᵹesælða limu, þe sio ᵹesælð self? 971Blickl. Hom. 97 Hwyder he ᵹelæded sy, þe to wite, þe to wuldre. c1000ælfric Hom. II. 120 Ða Gregorius befran, hwæðer þæs landes folc cristen wære ðe hæðen. c1205Lay. 16812 Do þine iwille Whaðer swa þu wult don, Þa us slan þa us an-hon. a1250Owl & Night. 1064 Hweþer þu wilt wif þe meyde. Ibid. 1408 Sei me soþ if þu hit wost Hweþer doþ wurse fleys þe gost. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4507 In woch half turne he nuste, þo weþer est þe west.
2. Relative particle.
a. Appended to adverbs and adverbial expressions of time, place, etc., to make them relative or conjunctive. Cf. that conj. 6. Also in for þan þe because that, ær þan þe before that, and the like.
835Charter of Abba in O.E. Texts 447 Ða hwile ðe hia hit mid clennisse ᵹehaldan wile. c1160Hatton Gosp. Mark viii. 24 Þa þæ he hine be-seaᵹ. c1175Lamb. Hom. 87 Þa þe heo comen on midden þere se. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 35 Þe fiffeald mihten þe god him gef þo þe he him shop. a1240Ureisun 36 in Cott. Hom. 193 Þer ðe neure deað ne com.
b. Hence as a temporal adverb (= þá, þá þe): When.
c1205Lay. 263 Þeos ȝunge wiman iwerd hire mid childe, þe ȝet leouede Asscanius. Ibid. 4150 Þe [c 1275 þo] Dunewale hauede isæd, al his folc luuede þene ræd. a1300Harrow. Hell (MS. L.) 42 Þe [MS. E. þan] he com þere þo [MS. E. þan] seyd he asse y shal nouþe telle þe.
3. As relative pronoun: That, who, which.
In OE. repr. any case or number. Also with ellipsis of antecedent, = he who, that which, what, = that rel. pron. 3.
805–31Charter of Oswulf in O.E. Texts 444 Ic ðe ðas ᵹesettnesse sette. 847Charter of æðelwulf in O.E. Texts 434 Ðonon to ðæm beorᵹe ðe mon hateð æt ðæm holne. c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxiv. §3 His sio hea goodnes þe he full is. Ibid. xxxvi. §4 (3) Þæt ðu mæᵹe ðy bet ᵹelefan ðe ic ðe..recce. c893― Oros. ii. i. §4 Þy ilcan ᵹeare þe Romana rice weaxan ongann. a1000Boeth. Metr. v. 11 Seo þe ær gladu onsiene wæs. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 9 Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum. Ibid. John i. 26 Tomiddes eow stod þe [Lindisf. ðone] ᵹe ne cunnon. 1154O.E. Chron. an. 1140, Alle þe men þe mid him heoldon. a1175Cott. Hom. 221 ælra þara þinge þe on paradis beoð. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 45 Þe þre kinges þe comen of estriche. c1205Lay. 41 Wace wes ihoten Þe wel couþe writen. a1250Owl & Night. 1386 (Cott. MS.) For heo beoþ wode, Þe [v.r. þat] bute nest goþ to brode. a1300Harrow. Hell (MS. L.) 24 Moyses, þe holy wyht [MS. whyt], Þe heuede þe lawe to ȝeme ryht. 13..Cursor M. 24317 (Edin.) Wit hard thrauis þe [other MSS. þat] he þrow Þai sau þat he to ded him drew. c1350Will. Palerne 4422 Sche..went Into a choys chaumber Þe clerli was peinted. c1460Oseney Regr. 166 He Bryngeth also Anoþer charter..the witnyssith [orig. Cartam..que testatur] that the Same Nicoll yafe [etc.]. Ibid. 170 For þe Sowle of my ffadur Robert Doylly þe þat same church foundid.
b. When the relative was governed by a preposition, the latter followed before the verb.
a900O.E. Chron. an. 885, He sende him..þære rode dæl þe Crist on þrowude. c1000Ags. Gosp. Mark ii. 4 Þæt bed þe se lama on læᵹ.
c. In Old English the relative was also expressed by adding þe to the demonstrative pronoun se, séo, þæt; thus, se-þe, séo-þe, þæt-þe or þætte, þæs-þe, þæm-þe, etc.; but this combination scarcely survived after 1100.
835Charter of Abba in O.E. Texts 448 Swælc monn se ðe to minum ærfe foe. c893K. ælfred Oros. ii. iv. §8 Seo ilce burᵹ..seo ðe mæst wæs. c1000ælfric Gen. vi. 2 Hiᵹ..namon him wif of eallum þam, þa þe hiᵹ ᵹecuron. c1000Ags. Gosp. Matt. iii. 3 Dys ys se be ðam ðe ᵹecweden ys. a1175Cott. Hom. 227 Se soðe sceppende se þe ane is god. c1175Lamb. Hom. 5 He is iblesced þe þe her cumet on drihtenes nome.
d. To express the genitive case whose, of which, þe or se ðe was followed by a possessive pronoun: cf. that rel. pron. 9.
a800Cynewulf Elene 162 Se God..þe þis his beacen wæs. c850O.E. Martyrol. 118 Þære fæmnan tid þe hire noma wæs sancta Anatolia. a900Psalm xxxii. 11 (Thorpe) Eadiᵹ byþ þæt kynn, þe swylc God byð heora God. a1122O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1011, ælmær..þe se arcb. ælfeah ær ᵹenerede his life.
▪ III. the, adv.|ðə|
Also 3 þæ.
[OE. þé, originally locative or instrumental case of the demonstrative and relative pron. se, séo, þæt. In OE. interchanging with þý: see thy adv.]
1. Preceding an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree, the two words forming an adverbial phrase modifying the predicate.
The radical meaning is ‘in or by that’, ‘in or by so much’, e.g. ‘if you sow them now, they will come up the sooner’; ‘he has had a holiday, and looks the better’, to which the pleonastic ‘for it’ has been added, and the sentence at length turned into ‘he looks the better for his holiday’.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xvii. 122 Oft sio wund bið ðæs þe wierse & ðy mare. c1175Lamb. Hom. 87 Þa cleopede god þe ner Moyses him to. c1205Lay. 30597 Of þere brede he æt sone þer after him wes þæ bet. c1290Beket 1252 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 142 He chaungede is name, þe sikerloker forto go. a1300Cursor M. 3651 (Cott.) Þat he þe mai þe less mistru, Þou sal sai þou ert esau. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxxviii. (Bodl. MS.), He [the stomach] is rowȝe..to holde þe better þe mete þat he fongiþ. c1430How Gd. Wife taught Dau. 191 in Babees Bk. 41 Þe work is þe sonner do þat haþ many handis. 1526Tindale John xix. 8 When Pilate herde that sayinge, he was the moare afrayde [1388 Wyclif, he dredde the more]. 1596Spenser F.Q. vi. ii. 33 That..I may beare armes,..The rather, since that fortune hath this day Given to me the spoile of this dead knight. 1621Fletcher Wild Goose Chase iv. i, 'Tis not to be help'd now. Lil. The more's my Miserie. 1782Cowper Mut. Forbearance 24 Your fav'rite horse Will never look one hair the worse. 1838Ruskin Ess. Painting & Music §24 Wks. 1903 I. 285 And if others do not follow their example,—the more fools they. 1883Law Times 27 Oct. 425/1 What student is the better for mastering these futile distinctions?
†b. In phrase the less (the), (= L. quominus), OE. þe-lǽs þe, Early ME. (þe) læste, now lest conj. q.v.
[c825Vesp. Psalter ii. 12 Ðyles hwonne eorsie dryhten.] 971Blickl. Hom. 65 Þe læs hi us besencean on helle grund. c1000Ags. Gosp. John v. 14 Ne synga þa, þe-læs þe þe on sumon þingon wyrs ᵹetide. a1100in Napier O.E. Glosses i. 3675 Þe læste ᵹehremde. [1175: see lest conj.]
2. the..the..: by how much..by so much; in what degree..in that degree..[= L. quo..eo.., Gr. ὅσῳ..τοσούτῳ..]: denoting proportional dependence between the notions expressed by two clauses, each having the + a comparative; one the being demonstrative, and the other relative. The relative clause usually comes first, e.g. ‘The more one has, the more one wants’; but the order may be reversed, as ‘One wants the more, the more one has’; and in either order the comparative in the relative clause is sometimes followed by that, e.g. ‘the more that one has’. In OE. commonly þý; ME. þi, þe: see thy adv.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. Pref. 5 Ðæt her ðy mara wisdom on londe wære, ðy we ma ᵹeðeoda cuðon. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7547 Þe more þat a mon can, þe more wurþe he is. 13..Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. lv. xii. 95 Þe more we trace þe Trinite, Þe more we falle in fantasye. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) v. 14 Ay þe elder it es, þe whittere it waxes. c1440Alphabet of Tales 1 Yitt þai er ay þe langer þe wers. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 445 Though the Camomile, the more it is troden, the faster it growes; yet Youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it weares. 1690T. Saunders in 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. vii. 111 As to our sea affairs..the lesse I say the better. 1771in J. Watson Jedburgh Abbey (1894) 98 The bells must be removed, and the sooner the better. c1790J. Imison Sch. Art i. 208 The smaller a lens is, and the more its convexity, the nearer is its focus, and the more its magnifying power. 1855Kingsley Westw. Ho! iv, The less said the sooner mended. 1874J. T. Micklethwaite Mod. Par. Churches 26 The higher the windows are from the ground the better.
Proverbial expression. The more, the merrier.
▪ IV. the
obs. form of thee pers. pron., thee v.1, to prosper, they, thigh, though.
▪ V. the, thé, thea
obs. forms of tea. |