þus

Forms

þus^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þus.^[1] It corresponds to Old Frisian thus and Old Saxon thus, and to Old Dutch thus and Old High German dus.^[2][3][4] Köbler calls the Germanic adverb of unknown origin.^[4] Etymonline relates it to þæt (“that”) and þes (“this”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is among the oldest English glosses: the Épinal Glossary, of the end of the seventh century or about 700, glosses Latin “tantisper” with þus suiþae, literally “thus greatly”.^[6][7][8]

Semantic evolution

The adverb refers back to what precedes, “in this manner, so”, and forward to what follows, “as follows”, as in the laws, where Liebermann finds it meaning “in the following way” and “as stated”.^[9][10] With adjectives it means “to this degree”, and þus feor is “so far”.^[9][10] In glosses it renders Latin “sic” and “ita”.^[3]

It lived on as Middle English þus, now English thus.^[11][5]

Timeline

• s. vii ex. – þus suiþae glossing “tantisper” in the Épinal Glossary.^[6][7][8]
• 805×810 – ðus in the grant of Ealdorman Oswulf and his wife Beornthryth to Christ Church, Canterbury, a single sheet of the ninth century.^[12][8]
• 890×897 – þus in the Pastoral Care (Hatton 20).^[13][8]

Meanings

Adverb

1. thus, in this way, so.^[9][14][3]
2. as follows.^[10]
3. with adjectives: to this degree;^[9][10] þus feor so far.^[9][10]

Word family

• þyslīċ

Descendants

• Middle English þus (→ English thus; Scots thus)^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. 372
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þus
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 610
7. ^ a b Pheifer, J. D. (1974), Old English Glosses in the Épinal-Erfurt Glossary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 143
8. ^ a b c d Healey, Antonette diPaolo; Price Wilkin, John; Xiang, Xin, eds. (2009), Dictionary of Old English Web Corpus, Toronto: Dictionary of Old English Project
9. ^ a b c d e Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 1081
10. ^ a b c d e Liebermann, F. (1906), Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen, vol. II.1: Wörterbuch, Halle: Niemeyer, p. 225
11. ^ Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
12. ^ The Electronic Sawyer: Online Catalogue of Anglo-Saxon Charters, revised ed. by S. E. Kelly and R. Rushforth, King's College London / University of Cambridge, esawyer.lib.cam.ac.uk, p. S 1188
13. ^ Gneuss, Helmut; Lapidge, Michael (2014), Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: A Bibliographical Handlist of Manuscripts and Manuscript Fragments Written or Owned in England up to 1100, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 499
14. ^ Sweet, Henry (1896), The Student's Dictionary of Anglo-Saxon, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. 207