adv. Forms: 3–4 þannes, 4 þ-, thennus, 4–5 þ-, thonnes, -is, -ys, þens, 4–6 thens, 5 þenns, 5–6 thense, 6– thence. [ME. þannes, þennes, f. THENNE adv., with adverbial genitive suffix -es, -s. The later spelling thence for thens was to preserve the breath sound of s when final inflexional s became (z); as in hence, pence, defence, once, twice, mice, price, etc.)
1. From that place; from there. (Now chiefly literary.)
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 50/137. And bad heom of þulke holie bodi: Þat huy it þannes bere.
1340. Ayenb., 12. Ha [Christ] wente into helle … uor to draȝe þannes … þe zaules of þe holi uaderes.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 93. I … am temted ful tid to turne me þennus.
13[?]. Cursor M., 164 (Gött). Hu þat he was þennis [Trin. þennes; Cott. theþen] ledd.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 232. Er they thennes [v.rr. þennes, þens, thens] wente … They fille in speche.
c. 1400. Brut, 103. Þat men myȝt hit nouȝt remeve ne bere þenns. Ibid., 114. Or he departede þens.
1526. Tindale, Mark vi. 1. He departed thens and cam in to his awne countre.
1536. Wriothesley, Chron. (Camden), I. 51. The Kinge with his companye departed thense.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 12. If Sion hill Delight thee more … I thence Invoke thy aid.
1867. Lady Herbert, Cradle L., iv. 123. Thence … the pilgrims came to the beautiful low shrine.
1895. Law Times Rep., LXXIII. 156/2. The ‘Kirkmichael’ left Liverpool … on a voyage thence to Melbourne.
b. Preceded by redundant from († fro).
1382. Wyclif, Mark vi. 1. And Jhesus gon out thennis [v.r. fro thennes]. Ibid. (1388), And he ȝede out fro thennus.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13270. To a perellus place past I fro thens.
1535. Coverdale, Baruch vi. 2. After that wil I bringe you awaye peaceably from thence.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XXI. x. 177. He commanded Victor the Hystoriographer, whom he saw at Sirmium, to come from thence unto him.
1703. Pope, Thebais, 383. Begin from thence, where first Alpheus hides His wand’ring stream.
1867. Geo. Eliot, in Cross, Life (1885), III. 9. Making our way homeward from thence by easy stages.
† c. As a relative (also thence that): From which place, whence. Obs. rare.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1906), 36. Y must to the erthe thennes that y come fro.
2. At a place distant or away from there; distant; absent. Now chiefly in stating distance.
c. 1290. Beket, 1780, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 157. To longe ich habbe þannes i-beo.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, II. 530. Lat a man stond … A myle thens and here hyt route.
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, 28. Though they … haue leue to be thense yet yt suffysyth not.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., IV. x. 257. True proues that all that day he was ferre thens.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. V., 13. While one manne is there, which is neuer thence.
Mod. Two miles thence is a fine waterfall.
3. From that time or date; thenceforward; thenceforth. Mostly with from. ? Obs.
c. 1374. [see THENCEFORTH 1].
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xvi. 13. The wrd that the Lord spac to Moab fro thennys [1388 fro that tyme].
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ix. 197. He seid that peple schulde frothens after worschipe.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Justine, xx. 78. That no subiect of Carthage should from thence learne Greeke letters.
a. 1751. Bolingbroke, Stud. Hist. (1752), I. vi. 236. From thence down to the present day.
a. 1832. Bentham, Mem. & Corr., Wks. 1843, X. 62. I must have seen him … more than once at Romilly’s, and thence afterwards at my own house.
4. From that, as a source, origin, or cause; (as an inference) from those premisses or data; therefrom. Also preceded by from.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 2. Next are premised som things, for explaining the terms of the Question, that it may bee clearly thence understood.
1692. E. Walker, Epictetus’ Mor., ix. Weigh every Circumstance, each Consequence, And usual Accident arising thence.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 409. It would thence follow, that … the number of women would daily go on [etc.].
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. ix. 702. They could present to parliament every thing which favoured their own purposes, keep back every thing which opposed them; and thence more effectually deceive the nation.
