Etymograph

English

than

Than comes from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne ‘then; when; than’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þan ‘then’, whose deeper origin is disputed.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þan1‘then; than’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þan1‘then; than’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*þannē1reconstructedalteration of *þan
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150þonne1‘then; when; than’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150þanne1variant of þonne
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500than1‘than’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1665than1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English than
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1665, Edward Stillingfleet, William Laud: “Answer me if you can, any other way, than…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þanWiktionary, English than‘then; than’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þanWiktionary, English than‘then; than’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*þannēWiktionary, English thanreconstructedalteration of *þan
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150þonneWiktionary, English than‘then; when; than’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150þanneWiktionary, English thanvariant of þonne
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thanWiktionary, English than‘than’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1665thanWiktionary, English than. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1665, Edward Stillingfleet, William Laud: “Answer me if you can, any other way, than…”

Linked words

through Proto-West Germanic *þan ‘then’

thence

through Old English þonne ‘then’

then

Today it means

conj Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *þan / than

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