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*þan

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *þan

*þan1 then, at that time

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *þan
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *tóm
Etymology tree of *þan1
inherited borrowed derived
Proto-Germanic *þan
Dutch dan
German dann
Old Norse þá
Proto-West Germanic *þan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the adverb *þan "then, at that time".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then”),[1][2] which Orel writes *þana.[3] Ringe and Taylor set up a different Proto-West Germanic form: Proto-Germanic *þan(a) "then" became *þannā, the source of Old High German danna and of Old English þonne.[4]

Morphology

An adverb.[5] In Old Saxon and Old Dutch it is also a conjunction, "when", a use Old High German lacks.[6]

Evidence

The adverb is found as Old English þan,[5] Old Saxon than,[7] and Old High German dan, which is rare: in Christus und die Samariterin, the Trier manuscript of Williram and the glosses.[6] EWA also gives Old Frisian than "at that time".[6] The Wachtendonck psalms of the 9th century have Old Dutch than "then, when".[8]

Competing analyses

Orel derives the Proto-Germanic word from the demonstrative stem *þa- with a particle *na;[3] Berr takes it for a locative or instrumental of the pronominal stem *þa-,[7] an explanation EWA calls mistaken.[6] Wiktionary calls the origin unclear.[1]

Meanings

  1. then, at that time[1][4]

Old English also used the adverb for "now", "from there" and "insofar",[5] and Old Saxon for "but", "now" and "when".[6]

Derivatives

  • *þannē, which Wiktionary reconstructs as an extension of *þan after adverbs such as *innē and *uppē;[9] Ringe and Taylor write it *þannā.[4]
  • *þananā "thence", which Wiktionary reconstructs from *þan and an ablative suffix;[10] Orel derives Proto-Germanic *þananē̆, the source of Old English þanan, Old Saxon thanana and Old High German danana, from *þana.[11]

Reflexes

  • Old English: þan (“then, now, from there”)[5]
  • Old Saxon: than (“then, at that time”)[7]
  • Old Dutch: than (“then, when”)[8]
  • Old High German: dan (“then”)[6]

*þan2 than

Confidence
Disputed
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *þan
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *tóm
Etymology tree of *þan2
inherited borrowed derived
Proto-Germanic *þan
Dutch dan
German dann
Old Norse þá
Proto-West Germanic *þan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs a conjunction *þan "than".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then”), like the adverb.[1]

Morphology

A conjunction, used after a comparative.[12][6]

Evidence

The sense "than" after a comparative is found in Old English þan, Old Saxon than and Old High German dan,[6] and in Old Frisian than.[12] For Old Dutch than EWA gives only "then, when".[6] In North Germanic, Old Norse en, an "than" go back to *þan with loss of the first consonant, while runic Swedish still has ⟨þan⟩, ⟨þen⟩.[6]

Competing analyses

EWA argues that the sense "than" can only be understood from a sense "from there", and notes that Old High German also uses dana, from Proto-Germanic *þanē (“from there”), in this function.[6] The comparative word could then continue *þanē, its final vowel partly lost after the model of *þan "then", as Lühr proposes.[6] The other possibility EWA allows is that *þan, which survives with the sense "so" in Old Saxon than lang(o) and Old English þon lange, went from "so" to "as" after comparatives, a change it compares in Greek.[6] Wiktionary sets up both words under one Proto-Germanic *þan.[1]

Meanings

  1. than[1]

Old Frisian also used the conjunction for "as" in comparisons, "or", "but" and "except".[12]

Reflexes

  • Old English: þan (“than, compared with”)[5]
  • Old Frisian: than (“as, than, or, but, except”)[12]
  • Old High German: dan (“than”)[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þan
  2. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *þan, *þana
  3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 415
  4. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 202
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. þan
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
  7. ^ a b c Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 408
  8. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. than
  9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þannē
  10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *þananā
  11. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 416
  12. ^ a b c d Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. than
  13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. dan

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*þan.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*%C3%BEan. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·