entry
then
/ðɛn/At that time, next, or in that case
From Proto-Indo-European demonstrative base to (that).
from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan...
from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”)
from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”)
from Middle English then(ne), than(ne)
Word Ancestry
from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan...
from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”)
from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”)
from Middle English then(ne), than(ne)
Point at something across a room and say “that”: you are using the ancient demonstrative idea hiding inside then. Its Indo-European ancestor, reconstructed as *tóm, traveled through Germanic speech as *þan before appearing in Old English forms such as þonne and þanne. By the late 1200s, English speakers had extended “at that time” into “afterward” and “next,” turning a pointing word into a little arrow through time. Then and there appeared by the mid-15th century, while the noun sense survives in phrases like by then. The word is also a linguistic near-twin of than—so every comparison involving “better than” carries a fossilized trace of the same old “that” sitting quietly underneath.”
The Story
Point at something across a room and say “that”: you are using the ancient demonstrative idea hiding inside then. Its Indo-European ancestor, reconstructed as *tóm, traveled through Germanic speech as *þan before appearing in Old English forms such as þonne and þanne. By the late 1200s, English speakers had extended “at that time” into “afterward” and “next,” turning a pointing word into a little arrow through time. Then and there appeared by the mid-15th century, while the noun sense survives in phrases like by then. The word is also a linguistic near-twin of than—so every comparison involving “better than” carries a fossilized trace of the same old “that” sitting quietly underneath.”
Modern Usage
A Discord-community meme used in expressions such as “okthen” and “wellthen,” sometimes associated with a cursed emoji.
Popularized by: Discord communities
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries for “then,” including “okthen” and “wellthen”
Kin & Kindred
From 'to'·that; referring to something indicated
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary