þethen

adv.

WA thethenþethin

'thence, from there' (Modern English )

Etymology

The standard form of the adv. in the Scandinavian languages with medial -ð- contrasts with the WGmc type with medial -n-: cp. OIcel  þaðan, þeðan 'thence, from there, thenceforth, since' and OE ðanon ‘thence’, OS thanan, thanana, OHG thanan, thanana. If they derive from a shared etymon *þan-, the Norse forms have evolved via dissimilation (earlier *þaðan- < *þanan-). Alternatively, PGmc *það- has been postulated as the origin of the Norse type (cp. the suffix -þ in Go hwaþ ‘whither’ and þad-ei ‘in which, where’). The vocalism of the common variant þeðan is usually accounted for by analogy with heðan 'hence, henceforth'. See further heþen (adv.) and wheþen (adv.).

PGmc Ancestor

*þan- or *það- 

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

þaðan, þeðan 'thence, from there, thenceforth, since'
(ONP þaðan, þeðan (adv.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Icel þaðan, Norw deden, ODan thæthan, Dan deden, OSw þaþan, þæþan, Sw dädandän

OE Cognate

ðanon ‘thence’

Phonological and morphological markers

[dissimilation of ON */nan/ > /ðan/] (may not be applicable)

Summary category

B1c

Attestation

First attested in Orrm, and most frequently in N/EM texts (see also the shortened form at MED s.v. thīne).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 1068, 1076, 5131 etc.

The D MS of WA has the shortened form <þine> at 1068; for further examples see MED s.v. thīne (adv.).

Bibliography

MED thē̆then (adv.) , OED thethen (adv.) , HTOED , HTOED , Bj. 167, de Vries þaðan, Mag. þaðan, þeðan, AEW đanon(e)