Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1–4 þá, (1 ðá, tha), 2–5 þo, (5 þoo), 3 þeo, þeoa, ðoa (ta, to), 4 þaa, þae, 4–5 thoo, 4–7 (dial –9) tho, (5–6 thoo). [OE. ðá, þá = ON. þá (Norw. daa, Sw. då, Da. da) then, when; orig. a case-form of the demonstr. stem þa- of THE, THAT; either the actual acc. sing. fem., OE. and ON. þá, or (as some think) a stressed form of the orig. acc. masc.; meaning ‘that time,’ the sb. being omitted: cf. L. tum, tam. (But cf. also the sense-equivalent OS. thô, thuo, OHG. ðô, duo.) In ME. þā remained in the north, but c. 1200 regularly became pō, thō in midland and south. Tho, thoa still remains = then, at that time, in the south-west.]
1. As demonstrative adv.: Then. a. At that time: = THEN adv. 1. Now dial. (In quot. c. 1385 preceded by a prep.: = THEN adv. 7.)
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. i. § 14. Þa for he norþryhte be þæm lande. Ibid. (c. 897), Gregory’s Past. C., 2. Hu ʓesæliʓlica tida þa wæron ʓeond Angelcynn.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 378. Hit mæʓ eow nu fremian swa micclum swa hit ða mihte.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 51. Nimeð forbisne efter þe olde men þe þo weren.
a. 1225. Juliana, 9. As me luuede þa.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6383 (Cott.). Þis mete þat þai war fed of þaa [v.rr. þo, þan] Þai cald it … manna.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7936. Þe kyng þankede God þo. Ibid., 16261. Þider cam nought þo Osewy.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1060 (Dido). The queene … had herde ofte of Eneas er thoo.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 6. Tho was the lif of man in helthe, Tho was plente, tho was richesse.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 46. Fiue maner of pepull here dwellyd þo.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. vi. 68. As was the maner tho.
1549–62. Sternhold & Hopkins, Ps. lxxviii. 6. They and their posteritie, Which were not sprong up tho.
1600. Sheph. Slumber, in Eng. Helicon (1887), 222. In peascod time … I went to gather strawberries tho.
1888. Elworthy, W. Som. Words, Tho, adv. of time, then. Still the usual form here…. ‘Her told’n he should have his money, but her ’adn a-got it tho.’
† b. (Next) after that, upon that, thereupon: = THEN adv. 3. Obs.
c. 700. Cædmon, Hymn, 7. He aerist scop … heben til hrofe … Tha middunʓeard [etc.].
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. ii. § 1. Þa æt nyhstan he wæs feohtende wið Sciððie.
a. 1000. Juliana, 594. Þa se dema wearð hreoh & hyʓegrim.
1131. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1127. Siððen þa nam he þes kynges wifes swuster of France to wife.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 225. Þo warð god toðan swiðe ȝegremed þurh manna mandede.
c. 1200. Ormin, 225. & ta þeȝȝ wisstenn sone anan Forr whatt he dwelledd haffde.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 428. Ette mete no word, oðer lut, & þeo beon stille.
c. 1275. Lay., 3616. Þo [c. 1205 þon] nam Leir þe king his leofeste cnihtes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., Prol. 18. Vn-to this Angel spak the frere tho.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVII. i. 689. Whanne Galahad had rescowed Percyual … he yede tho in to a waste foreste.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Jan., 11. Tho to a hill his faynting flocke he ledde.
1642. H. More, Song Soul, I. II. xxxv. Tho I gan closely on his person look.
† 2. As relative or conjunctive adv.: When, at the time that. (Often correlative to þa in sense 1.)
Beowulf (Z.), 462. Ða hine gara cyn,… habban ne mihte.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. i. § 20. Ða he þiderweard seʓlode … þa wæs him on þæt bæcbord Denamearc.
971. Blickl. Hom., 19. Hwæt he dyde þa hine seo meneʓo þreade.
1154. O. E. Chron. Þa þe king was ded þa was þe eorl beionde sæ.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 11. Þa ten laȝe þe þa israelisce folc sceolde halden þa he heom ledde of egipte londe.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 314. He was lutel child þeoa he hit dude.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1690. Ah hit was unker uoreward, Þo we come hiderward.
c. 1250. Death, 20, in O. E. Misc., 168. We weren poure þa we hider come.
13[?]. K. Alis., 1648 (Bodl. MS.). Afterward þoo it was niȝth, Hij founden [etc.].
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 176. Ac þo þe belle was ybouȝt … Þere ne was ratoun … Þat dorst haue ybounden þe belle aboute þe cattis nekke.
c. 1425. Seven Sag. (P.), 183. Uppon morwen, tho it was day, The childe awakid.
† b. Also followed by the conj. (þa þe), in same sense: = When that, when. See THE particle 2 a.
c. 1000. Ags. Psalter (Surtees), xlviii. 21. Ða ðe he in are wes.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 219. Þaðe bi wolde mid modinesse beon betere þonne he ȝesceapen were. Ibid., 223. Þaðae he slep þa ȝename he ribb of his sidan.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 79. Þa þe he heuede scome aȝeines his scuppende þa he hefde þurst and hunger.
