different between than vs affor

English

Alternative forms

• 'n (nonstandard)
• thanne (obsolete)
• then (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English than, thanne, from Old English þanne, a variant of þonne (“then, since, because”), from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that, at that time, then”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan (“than”), German denn (“than”), German dann (“then”). Doublet of then.

Pronunciation

• (stressed) enPR: th?n, th?n, IPA^(key): /ðæn/, /ð?n/
  • Rhymes: -æn, -?n
• (unstressed) enPR: th?n, IPA^(key): /ð?n/, /ðn?/
• Homophone: then (unstressed or, for some speakers, stressed)

Conjunction

than

1. Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.
   • 1665, Stillingfleet, Laud, Carwell, A rational account of the grounds of Protestant religion:

     Answer me if you can, any other way, than because the Scriptures, which are infallible, Say so.

2. (obsolete outside dialects, usually used with for) Because; for.
   • 1854, Reformation series:

     If thou say yes, then puttest thou on Christ (that is, the wisdome of God, the Father) unkunning, unpower, or euil will: for than he could not make his rule so good as an other did his.

Preposition

than

1. introduces a comparison, and is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure the force of an adjective or similar description between two predicates.

   Patients diagnosed more recently are probably surviving an average of longer than two years.

   A player than whom none is more skillful.

Usage notes

Usage prescriptivists have a number of rules concerning than. In formal grammar, than is not a preposition to govern the oblique case (although it has been used as such by writers such as William Shakespeare, whose 1600 play Julius Caesar contains the line A man no mightier than thyself or me. . ., and Samuel Johnson, who wrote No man had ever more discernment than him, in finding out the ridiculous.). Than functions as both conjunction and preposition; when it is used as a conjunction, it governs the nominative case, and when a preposition, the oblique case. To determine the case of a pronoun following "than", a writer can look to implied words and determine how they would relate to the pronoun.

Examples :

• You are a better swimmer than she.
  • represents You are a better swimmer than she is.
  • therefore You are a better swimmer than her is, according to such prescriptivists, a solecism.

• They like you more than her.
  • represents They like you more than they like her.
  • therefore They like you more than she is a solecism, if it attempts to represent the previous sentence. It may be correct, however, if it represents They like you more than she likes you.

Some prescriptivists insist that whom must follow than (not who); although according to the above rule, who would be the "correct" form. Critics of this often cite this mandatory exception as evidence that the prescriptivist rule is logically erroneous, in addition to its being inconsistent with well-established usage.

Translations

Adverb

than (not comparable)

1. (now chiefly dialectal or a misspelling) At that time; then.

Anagrams

• -anth, Hnat, Nath, ha'n't, ha'nt, han't, hant, tahn

Cornish

Noun

than

1. Aspirate mutation of tan.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• thanne

Etymology

From Old English þonne.

Conjunction

than

1. than

Descendants

• English: than

Adverb

than

1. then
   • 14^th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue

     And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
     Than wolde he speke no word but Latyn.

     And when he had drunk all the wine
     He would not speak a word other than Latin

Descendants

• English: then

Old Dutch

Adverb

than

1. then

References

• Altniederfränkischer Psalm 2

Old High German

Alternative forms

• thanne, thanna, dhanne, danne, danna

Adverb

than

1. then, there, when, at that time

Conjunction

than

1. from there, therefore, if, because, after
2. than, (comparative)

References

1. Braune, Wilhelm. Althochdeutsches Lesebuch, zusammengestellt und mit Glossar versehen

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà N?i) IPA^(key): [t?a?n??]
• (Hu?) IPA^(key): [t?a????]
• (H? Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [t?a????]
• Homophone: thang

Etymology 1

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese ? (“coal”, SV: thán).

Noun

than • (?, ?)

1. coal

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese ? (SV: thán).

Verb

than

1. to complain

Derived terms

Welsh

Preposition

than

1. Aspirate mutation of tan.

Mutation

English

Adverb

affor (not comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of afore

Preposition

affor

1. Obsolete spelling of afore (“before, in advance of the time of”)
   • 1501 Testamenta Eboracensia: A Selection of Wills from the Registry at York Vol. IV (1869, York District Probate Registry, England), page 196:

     providid that if it happen one of theym to decesse affor sche be maried, her porcion to be disposed to th’use and behove of Robert my son […]

   • 1630-1650, William Bradford, journal, as quoted by Janet Farrell Brodie, Contraception and Abortion in Nineteenth-Century America (1994, Cornell University Press), page 38:

     prayed him to forgive her, for Lyford had overcome her, and defiled her body before mariage affor he had comended him onto her for a husband.

   • 1881, John Matthias Weylland, Our Veterans: Life-stories of the London City Mission, page 168:

     I was in here four times, and went out to try to get on, but couldn't, affor I comed in sixteen years ago, and my old woman was in affor she died.

2. Obsolete spelling of afore (“before, geographically or metaphorically in front of”)
   • 16C, title unavailable, as quoted by Arthur Geoffrey Dickens, Clifford Letters of the Sixteenth Century (1962), volume [illegible], page 116:

     She wold have putt in her bill of complant affor my Lord of Richmonde’s counsell.

   • 1856, the Rev. F. R. Raines, M.A., F.S.A., “Examynatyons Towcheynge Cokeye More”, in Remains Historical and Literary Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester, volume 37 (Chetham Society), page 20:

     Theyn he and v other psons y^t ys to wytt J?n Walker Wylly? Hasl? Thomas ffleccher Perys Holt ? Rog’ Leyu’ testefyed this mat’ for thrwe affor me lord the Justys of Lanchast^r.

Quotations

• 1502 James Raine and John William Clay, Testamenta Eboracensia: Illustrative of the History, Manners, Language, Statistics, Etc. Vol. IV (1869, J. B. Nichols, York, England), page 126:

  if it please Gode, my body to be buryed in Seynt Trinite kyrke in Hull, affor the Sacrament, of the north syd of the yle

References

• 1994, Andrew E. Benjamin and Peter Osborne, Walter Benjamin's Philosophy: Destruction and Experience, page 128, Routledge

  The Latin prefix ad-, and accordingly af-, marks the opening of an act, and of an act of opening, as in the very appropriate example of affor, meaning ‘addressing’, for example when taking leave.

Latin

Alternative forms

• adfor

Etymology

From ad- +? for (“speak, say”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?af.for/, [?äf??r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?af.for/, [??f??r]

Verb

affor (present infinitive aff?r?, perfect active aff?tus sum); first conjugation, deponent

1. I speak to, address, accost, implore.
2. (in a passive sense) I fix the use of the auspices, I am destined.

Conjugation

• In Classical Latin, affor was used only in the present indicative, but not in the first-person, the perfect active participle and the infinitive.

Derived terms

• aff?bilis
• aff?tus

References

• affor in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• affor in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Scots

Alternative forms

• afor

Preposition

affor

1. before, afore
   • 1526-1534, John Hackett, as quoted in The Letters of Sir John Hackett (1971, West Virginia University Library):

     [I] know somwhat from other partyys that imagenys by som prewe conwoyanssis that is in demenyng be twyx France and Spaeyn that affor the monyth of Augost next comyng that ther salbe peace maede betwyx the Emperor and the Frenche Kyng.

   • 7 April 1565 William Chambers, Charters and Documents Relating to the Burgh of Peebles (1872, Scottish Burgh Records Society), page 299:

     The counsall ordanis the scuill master to provid ane doctur to tech the scuill, and ilk honest man that hes bairnis to gif the said doctur his meit about, and ordanis the said master to wait himself better on the bairnis nor he doid affor tyme as he will andssur to thame thairvpon.

   • 17C, William R. Boyd, Calendar of the State Papers related to Scotland and Mary, Queen of Scots 1547-1603:

     ... hagbuttares on horsbak com to this towne of Stryviling quhair all the nobilite vas assemblit, enterit vytin the towne affor any vytin knew of them.

   • 1867, Ledger of Andrew Halyburton, H. M. General Register House (Scotland), page 214:

     Item in Jun anno affor writyn, rassauit fra W. Hoper for fynans that my Lord maid wt hys fadir 500 ducatis.