*þan

Reconstruction

The adverb is *þan in Wiktionary and Köbler, who also gives *þana;^[1][2] Orel heads it *þana.^[3]

Etymology

EWA equates it with inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tom, the accusative singular masculine of the PIE demonstrative *te/o-, which also gave Latin tum (“then”) and Avestan təm (“therefore”): final n was kept in Proto-Germanic monosyllables with a short vowel, and the accusative of time arose from an ellipsis "this (time)".^[4] Boutkan lists the adverbs *þan "then" and *hwan "when" among the forms usually taken to show that a PIE final nasal was kept after a short stressed vowel, but thinks they need further study.^[5]

Morphology

An adverb formed on the demonstrative stem.^[6][2] It is not to be confused with *þanē "from there; than", formed with the ablatival suffix *-nē.^[7] EWA explains the sense "than" after comparatives either from *þanē "from there", which lost its final vowel after the model of *þan "then", or from *þan itself, which kept a sense "so" in Old Saxon than lango (“as long as”) and Old English þon lange.^[4]

Evidence

The adverb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌽 (þan), Old Norse þá, and Old English þan, Old Frisian than, Old Saxon than, Old Dutch than and Old High German dan in West Germanic.^[4][6] Old Norse lost the final n,^[8] but the runic Swedish forms for "than" still end in n.^[4] Feist cites a runic þa.^[6] LÄGLOS takes Finnish entä (“and, and then, but”) from *anþi with *þan, Proto-Norse *anþi with *þan.^[9]

Competing analyses

Wiktionary finds the origin unclear, and thinks it probably from the demonstrative *sa with an unclear suffix, perhaps earlier *-no or *-ne; the accusative *tóm is its alternative, and it reports that Dunkel derives *þana from PIE *tó-na "so, that way", with an instrumental adverbial suffix *-na.^[1] Orel likewise analyses the word as the demonstrative *þa- with a particle *na, and cites Skutsch for a comparison with tum.^[3] EWA reports that G. Schmidt set up two stems, *þa-n- and *en-n-, because the runic Swedish forms stand beside Old Norse en (“than”) and an;^[4] EWA answers that Old Norse also has þat beside at.^[4]

Meanings

1. then, at that time^[1][2]
2. than^[1]

Gothic used the word for "then, when" and "but",^[6] and as a connective rendering Greek "but", "then" and "whenever".^[8] Old Saxon also used it for "but, now, when, than", and Old English for "now, from there, in so far as, than".^[4]

Derivatives

• *uþþan "and, also, or", from *ud and *þan.^[10]
• *þananē̆ "thence", which Orel derives from *þana.^[11]
• *þandin "while", which Orel takes as a fusion with an unclear *đē, seen in Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌴 (þande), Old English þenden and Old High German danta (“because, that”).^[3]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌸𐌰𐌽 (þan, “then, when, but”)^[6]
• Old Norse: þá (“then, at that time”)^[12]
• Old English: þan (“then, now, than”), also þon^[13]
• Old Frisian: than (“then, at that time”)^[4]
• Old Saxon: than (“then, but, when, than”)^[4]
• Old Dutch: than (“then, when”)^[4]
• Old High German: dan (“then; than”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þan
2. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þan
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þana
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. dan
5. ^ Boutkan, Dirk (1995), The Germanic 'Auslautgesetze', Leiden Studies in Indo-European 4, Amsterdam / Atlanta: Rodopi, p. § 2.2.2
6. ^ a b c d e Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þan
7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þanē
8. ^ a b Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. þan
9. ^ Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 54
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *uþþan
11. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *þananē̆
12. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. þā
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þan