different between then vs atfirst

English

Alternative forms

• den (AAVE, Bermuda)

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ð?n/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ðen/
• Homophone: than (unstressed, or for some speakers when stressed)
• Rhymes: -?n

Etymology

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

Adverb

then (not comparable)

1. (temporal location) At that time.

   • And the Canaanite was then in the land.
2. (temporal location) Soon afterward.

   • First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
3. (sequence) Next in order; in addition.
4. (conjunctive) In that case.

5. (sequence) At the same time; on the other hand.

6. (Britain, dialect, affirmation) Used to contradict an assertion.

Synonyms

• (at that time): at the time, back in the day
• (soon afterward): and then, and so, subsequently, so
• (next in order): and then, followed by; see also Thesaurus:then
• (in that case): accordingly, as a result; see also Thesaurus:therefore
• (at the same time): concurrently, therewhile; see also Thesaurus:simultaneously
• (contradiction):

Translations

Adjective

then (not comparable)

1. Being so at that time.
   • 2011, Alessandra Lemma, Mary Target, Peter Fonagy, Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy: A Clinician's Guide, page 124:

     He had met his then girlfriend when he had just started university. The relationship ended unhappily when the girlfriend complained that he never wanted to go out.

Translations

Noun

then

1. That time

   It will be finished before then.

Translations

Conjunction

then

1. Obsolete spelling of than
2. Misspelling of than.

Derived terms

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “then”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
• then at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Neth, Neth., ethn-, hent

Vietnamese

Etymology

Probably a Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese ? (SV: thuyên).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

(classifier cái) then • (?, ?, ????, ????)

1. bar, peg (used for locking a door)
2. latch

Derived terms

Zou

Noun

then

1. maggot

References

• http://www.languageinindia.com/feb2013/zouphonologyfinal.pdf