þeah

See also: yeah

Middle English

Adverb

þeah

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of thogh

Conjunction

þeah

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of thogh

Old English

Alternative forms

• þēh, ðēah

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *þauh, from Proto-Germanic *þauh, corresponding to Proto-Germanic *þau (“in that case”) + *-uh (“and”) (cognate with Latin -que).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θæ͜ɑːx/
• Rhymes: -æ͜ɑːx

Adverb

þēah

1. for all that, however, even so, yet

Descendants

• Middle English: thogh (through confluence with Old Norse þó)
  • English: though
  • Middle Scots: thoch, thocht, tho
    • Scots: tho

Conjunction

þēah

1. though, notwithstanding that
2. though, even if
   • 10th century, The Wanderer‎^[1]:

     Oft him ānhaga · āre ġebīdeð,
     Metudes miltse, · þēah þe hē mōdċeariġ

     A loner oft waits a grace for himself,
     Creator's mercy, even if he is sorrowful

Usage notes

• Often used with the subjunctive mood to express hypothetical or uncertain ideas: Þēah þe hit earfoþe sīe, wē sċulon ūrum fēondum wiþstandan, and ǣlċum yfele þe hīe dōþ ("Although it may be difficult, we must stand against our enemies, and every evil that they commit"). However, statements that do not express uncertainty generally use the indicative: Þū mē sæġdest þæt þū mīne ġiefe forlure, þēah þe hēo wæs ealle þā hwīle on þīnum beddcleofan. Hū eart þū ā swā forgietel? ("You told me you lost my present, even though it was in your room the entire time. How are you always so forgetful?")

Derived terms

• swā þēah

Descendants

• Middle English: thogh (through confluence with Old Norse þó)
  • English: though
  • Middle Scots: thoch, thocht, tho
    • Scots: tho