pron. and a. Now dial. Forms: α. (3 þet oþer), 3–5 þe toþer, 4–6 the tothir, the toder, etc. (see OTHER), 4–7, 9 the tother, 7–8 the t’other, 8–9 Sc. the tither. β. 4 þat toþer, þat toiþer. γ. (without the) 6 tothir, (dial. toore), 6–7, 9 tother, 7–9 t’other. [ME. þe toþer, for earlier þet oþer, þat oþer ‘the other’; formed in the same way as þe tone from þet or þat one: see TONE pron. and a. The tother is still used in Sc. and in north. Eng. dialects, but in general Eng. is replaced by the other, and often in familiar use by the simple tother, also written t’other. Cf. the similar use of tone, t’one. When a possessive pronoun or case took the place of the, tother remained, e.g. his tother hand, in literary Eng. ‘his other hand.’]
A. pron., or adj. used absolutely.
1. The other (of two): often opposed to tone (see TONE pron.).
α. [a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 101. Ane dale ha etheold … & spende al ꝥ oðer.
1340. Ayenb., 16. Þet uerste heaued of þe beste of helle ys prede, þet oþer is enuie.]
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2724. Ðis on wulde don ðe toðer wrong.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11056. Þe tan was leuedi maiden ying, Þe toþer [Gött. toder] hir hand-womman kerling.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 248. Þe toon pope falliþ þe toþurs bullis. Ibid. (1382), Isa. vi. 3. Thei crieden ibe tother to the tother. Ibid. (1388). Thei crieden the toon to the tother.
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 435. Dresse up the tone with the tother.
1533. J. Heywood, Play Wether (1903), 1200. Nother wyll we do the tone nor the tother.
1613. Fletcher, etc., Captain, II. ii. Fran. What’s the tother? Clor. What tother? Fran. He that lyes along there.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 7. Two small Dissertations, the one upon Noe’s arrival … the t’other was about the Origin of the Druids.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Drink Ecl., Poems (1845), 49. Brandy the tane, the tither whiskey.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxvii. My lord cares as little about the tane as the tother.
β. 13[?]. Cursor M., 84 (Cott.). And in þat toþer [v.rr. þe toþer, þat oþer] scho lastes ever. Ibid., 2032. ‘Þi fader slepand,’ said þat toiþer [other MSS. þe toþer], ‘Liggus here-oute.’ Ibid., 3494. His moder him luued mare þan þat toþer [other MSS. þe toþer].
γ. 1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1339/1. Tone gone to God,… still reigning tother.
1632. Brome, North. Lasse, I. iv. Here’s one, there’s tother.
1888. Prior, On Exod. III vi. He on t’other’s Ruin rears his Throne.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 129. Securing the vogue on one side and t’other.
1800. Mar. Edgeworth, Lame Jervas, i. I saw the ghost … with the light in one hand, and a chain dragging after him in t’other.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 259. You cannot tell one from tother.
† 2. The second (of two or more): cf. OTHER B. 3. (Cf. Ger. der andere.) Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1629 (Cott.). Þe first was sem, cham was the toþeir [other MSS. þe toþer], And Iaphet hight þat yongest broþer.
1380. Lay Folks Catech., 332 (Lamb. MS.). Þe fyrst ys syȝt of eye, þe toþer heryng of Ere.
c. 1450. Merlin, ii. 24. Thre sones, the first hight Moyne, and the tother Pendragon, and the thirde Vter.
3. pl. (the tother obs., tothers rare): The others, the rest: cf. OTHER B. 4.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 45. Þat were Maysters of alle þe toþire, Hengist he hight, & Hors his broþire.
13[?]. Cursor M., 4948 (Gött.). Þan spac ruben þe eldest broder Stille menand til þe toder.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 339. xviii. were conuycte and hangyd, & the tother remayned longe after in pryson.
1691. J. Wilson, Belphegor, V. iii. When t’others shall … break themselves, on what they fall.
B. as adj. preceding a sb.
1. The other (of two). In early use often opposed to TO, TONE a.: see these.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 6305 (Cott.). In sirie apon þe toiþer side. Ibid., 16721. Þe toþer [Laud MS. the todir] theif him gaf ansuer.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 3993. Yn þe toþer worlde þer þey shul be, Þey are nat wurþy any ioye to se.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 325 (Balade). Or he haue herd the tothyr partye speke.
1419. Munim. de Melros (Bann. Cl.), 502. Betwix … Dauid abbot … and hys Conuent on þe ta part and Nychole of Wedale on þe toþer part.
1465. Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889), 320. The tothyr half to the cowrte.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 71. He … brought certen worde to the todyr man that tolde me.
1522. More, De Quat. Noviss., Wks. 75/1. On the tother syde wher as one doth such spiritual busines with a dulnes of spirite & werines.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 149. He dissaweit baith the tuddar twa.
1681. Dryden, Span. Friar, V. ii. No! the t’other old gentleman in black shall take me if I do.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 172. In requital to the t’other Prelate’s Urias’s Letter.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxxix. I heard Puggie Orrock, and the tother thief of a sheriff-officer … speaking about it.
γ. 1627. W. Sclater, Exp. 2 Thess. (1629), 299. Wee, Britans of t’other race.
1720. White, Monit. Clergy Peterbo., I. 27. This, that, and t’other invented Order of their Church.
1727. Gay, Begg. Op., II. xiii. How happy could I be with either, Were t’other dear Charmer away!
† b. After a possessive: Other. Obs.
1482. Cely Papers (Camden), 108. Accordyng as hit specyfyeth in my toder letter.
1549. Compl. Scot., 6. The grit armye of enemeis valkand on ther tothir syde.
1613. Heywood, Silver Age, II. i. Wks. 1874, III. 113. Vnlesse it were my tother selfe, I haue no hand in it.
1721. D’Urfey, Two Queens Brentford, V. i. Now you shall have my t’other Walk.
† 2. The second (of two or more): cf. OTHER A. 3. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1627, heading (Cott.). Her bigins at noe þe lede Þe toþer werld right for to del.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xxi. 225. The first statute was, that [etc.]…. The tother Statute was, that [etc.].
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867), 3. The toþer artecle es þat we sall trowe.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 2. The ferde is of the first angel…. The fyft is of the tothir angel.
b. The second, another, one more. Obs. exc. Sc.
1600. Rowlands, Let. Humours Blood, xix. 25. He calleth: Boy, fill vs the tother quart.
1653. Walton, Angler, xi. 218. Then each man drink the tother cup and to bed.
1733. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (ed. 9), I. 9. The lover he ga’e her the tither kiss, Syne ran to her dady and tell’d him this.
1785. Burns, Jolly Beggars, ii. And aye he gies the tozie drab The tither skelpin’ kiss.
3. (The) tother (day, etc.). † a. The second; the following, the next (day, etc.): cf. OTHER A. 3 b (a). Obs. † b. The preceding (day, etc.): cf. OTHER A. c. The other (day, night, etc.); a few (days, etc.) ago: cf. OTHER A. 3 b (c).
a. a. 1300. Cursor M., 7619 (Cott.). Þe toþer morn [Gött. day] her after-ward Þe warlau trauail saul ful hard. Ibid., 13249. In aueril þe toþer dai.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 38. Þe toþer ȝere next of his coronment.
13[?]. Cursor M., 5993 (Gött.). Moyses praid þe toder day, all be flijs wair quit a-way.
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 508. The tother day, on the same wyse, As the kynge fro the borde can ryse.
a. 1765. K. Estmere, xxvii., in Child, Ballads, III. (1885), 53/1. Tone day to marrye Kyng Adlands daughter, Tother daye to carrye her home.
b. c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 908. Schir Jhone the Grayme,… To the Corhed come on the tothir nycht.
c. 1575. Gamm. Gurton, III. iv. Did not Tom Tankard rake his Curtal toore day standing in the stable?
1680. Sir C. Lyttelton, in Hatton Corr. (Camden), 232. Tother day, in shifting of a cabinet.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 153, ¶ 1. An old Gentleman t’other Day in Discourse with a Friend.
1779. Mirror, No. 12, ¶ 8. I confess, I could not help being in a passion t’other day.
1863. Tyneside Songs, 31. Tuther Seturday neet aw saw a grand foot race Alang at the Victoria grund.
C. Comb. (nonce-wds.): tother-day a. (see B. 3 c), that happened or existed a few days ago, very recent; tothersider, one from the other side.
1662. Owen, Animadv. Fiat Lux, Wks. 1851, XIV. 65. Do we talk of t’other-day things?
1900. ‘H. Lawson,’ Over Sliprails, 72. We were all T’othersiders, and old mates, and we worked things together. It was in Westralia—the Land of T’othersiders.
