† ˈsithen, adv., conj., and prep. Obs.
Forms: α. 1 sioððan, 1–3 siððan, 2 -on, 3 -en; 1 siðþan, siþþan, -on, 4–5 siþþen (3 Orm. -enn), 4–5 siþthen, 5 sythethyn, sitthen; 3 siðen (4 siden, syden), 3–4 siþen (4 -an), 4 syþen, 4–5 siþin; 2–7, 9 sithen (5 -enne, -in, -yn, -un, 7 -ene); 4–6 sythen (5 -ene, -in, -inne, -yn, -on, -un). β. 1–2 seoððan, 3 seoð-, seodþen (soððen); 1 seoþðan, 2 seod-, 3 seoðþan; 1 seoþþan, 3 -þen (2 soþþen); 2 seððan, 2–3 seððen (3 sed-), 4–5 seþþen; 1 seoðan, 3 seoðen, seoþen; 2–3 seðen, 3 seiþin, 4 seþen, -in; 3–6 sethen (5 -enne), 4–5 sethyn, 5–6 sethin (5 -inne, -un). γ. 1 syð-, 2 sydþan, 1–2 syþðan, syððan (2 -on), 2–3 suððen (3 -den), 3 swo-, swu-, souððen; 1 syþþan (syþan), 3–4 suþþen, sut(t)hen.
[OE. siþþon, siþþan, etc. (see above), for earlier *s{iacu}ð þon (þan) ‘subsequent to that’ (cf. æfter þon, and G. seitdem), with shortening of the first vowel. The ME. siþen, sithen, however, may also represent ON. s{iacu}ðan (Da. siden), of the same meaning.]
A. adv.
1. = sith adv. 1.
| α 831 Charter in O.E. Texts 445 Wes hit becueden Osbearte..& siððan neniᵹᵹra meihanda ma ðes cynnes. 971 Blickl. Hom. 59 He þonne siþþon mid sare ᵹeswenced bið. 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1140, Sithen þerefter sahtleden þe king & Randolf eorl. c 1200 Ormin Ded. 235 He..sennde siþþenn Haliȝ Gast Till hise Lerninngcnihhtess. c 1300 Havelok 399 Godard stirt up..and siþen sat Bi þe knictes. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. Prol. 25 Þe sam God sythyn was..þe first maker of alle thyng. 1428 Eng. Misc. (Surtees, 1890) 6 And sythen was funden half a duzan fals tyn. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. ix. 175 Kynge Arthur..entryd in to Lorayne..and sythen retorned in to hault Almayn. 1559 Mirr. Mag. (1563) D iij, And sythen In Wygmore land..I caught the ryght heyre of the crowned howse. |
| β Beowulf 1937 Hraþe seoþðan wæs æfter mundgripe mece ᵹeþinged. 971 Blickl. Hom. 79 Swa swa hit seoþþan ᵹelamp. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 225 Ga inn seðen mid þine hiwun. c 1205 Lay. 26580 ælc his Rumain of-sloh; & seoððen heore hors wenden. c 1320 Cast. Love 46 Hou sone he hit for-les, And seþþen hou hit for-bouht wes. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 59, I wol souwen hit my-self and seþþen with ou wende. c 1450 Lovelich Grail lv. 451 But Sethen Cam there gret persecucioun To bothe Rewmes. |
| γ c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. iv. 2 Þa ongan hyne syððan hingrian. 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137, Þe Iudeus of Noruuic..him on rode hengen..& sythen byrieden him. c 1205 Lay. 3915 His lond he huld half ȝer, and suððen he adun halde. c 1300 Harrow. Hell (Digby MS.) 17 Ihesu..suþþen was don ful muchel some. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxii. 143 Iuwes..culled hym on croys-wyse.., And sutthen buriede hus body. |
2. = sith adv. 2. (In later use
= since adv. 2.)
| (a) a 900 Cynewulf Elene 507 (Gr.), Him næniᵹ wæs..oðer betera under sweᵹles hleo syðþan æfre. 971 Blickl. Hom. 219 Þa æfter þisse dæde his noma wæs a seoþþan..mære ᵹeworden. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 963, Se ælfsi wæs þa abbot syððon fiftiᵹ wintre. c 1205 Lay. 4257 He makede..monien laȝen gode þe long swuððen stode. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2897 And o sithen it was said..That Parys was Pryam son. |
| (b) c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 262 Ihesus..Ros fro ded on ðe sunenday, ðat is forð siðen worðed ay. a 1300 Cursor M. 1256 Þat gresse gren, þat euer has siþen ben gren. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 2 A grete Daneis felde..þat euer siþen hiderward Kampedene men kalle. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 22 Euer sethen angeles haue ben frendys..to all good men. 1487 Act 3 Hen. VII, c. 11 §1 The seid Clothes ever sythen into this day have been..conveyed out of this realme. 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds §29 Which armes the frenche kynges have ever sythen borne, and yet bere unto this present tyme. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 116 Euer sithene this citty hath declined. |
3. = sith adv. 3.
| a 900 Cynewulf Crist 39 Næniᵹ efenlic þam, ær ne siþþan, in worlde ᵹewearð wifes ᵹeeacnung. c 1000 ælfric Deut. xxxiv. 10 Ne aras siððan nan witeᵹa..swilce Moises wæs. c 1300 Harrow. Hell (Digby MS.) 33 Suþþen haui þoled..hounger and þurst. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1641 In sory houre Stood I to loken,..For sithen have I sore syked. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 146 The cursid Emperoure Nero, and many otheres Sethyn and in oure dayes. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 35 The Kyngis Grace..deputed to hym than and sithen offices of charge. c 1570 Pride & Lowl. (1841) 25 Before thy time men were not half so wyse As sythen in thy schoole they have been taught. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xii. 46 Sithen our Country-man Dr. Dee..saith, that an English-man was first Inventor. |
4. = sith adv. 4.
| c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 536, I..took his herte in chaunge for myn for ay, But sooth is seyd, goon sithen many a day [etc.]. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) I. 118 Hit is not longe sythen whan I was in my royame [etc.]. |
B. conj. 1. = sith conj. 1.
| α c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. viii, Ealra ðara arwyrðnessa þe ðu..hæfdest siððan ðu ærest ᵹeboren wære oð ðisne dæᵹ. 971 Blickl. Hom. 23 We..swa wæron siþþon se æresta ealdor..Godes bebodu abræc. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 84 Siðen ðat newe werld was boren, Til ihesus crist fro helle nam His quemed. 13.. Cursor M. 7993 (Gött.), Siþen god þe ches king of kith, His herte has euer ben þe wid. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1244 (Corpus MS.), Neuer siþþen þat þe world bigan..Nas of so fewe so noble a companye. c 1450 Mankind 265 in Macro Plays 10, I was neuer worth a pottfull a wortis, sythyn I was borne. 1477 Paston Lett. III. 201 The greet good that ȝe have had in yowyr rewle sythyn yowyr fadyr deyyd. 1555 Bradford in Coverdale's Lett. Martyrs (1564) 252 My manyfolde synnes, euen sythen I came into prison. 1572 Abp. Parker Corr. (Parker) 405 He was with me sithen Justice Manwood was placed. [1889 F. Cowper Capt. of the Wight 3 The price has risen mightily sithen the tolls have been laid on all hawks.] |
| β 971 Blickl. Hom. 187 Maniᵹe ᵹear syndon agan nu seoþþan ure bisceopas..to me ᵹewreoto sende. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Alle þo þe habben ben seðen ure louerd..steh to heuene. c 1205 Lay. 338 Moni ȝer was agan seodðen his cun hider com. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1139 In sorwe ich haue ben ay Seþþen ich aliue haue ben. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 197 Ho-so will enserche the olde stories Sethyn the worlde began. |
| γ Beowulf 2474 Þa wæs synn and sacu..syððan Hreðel swealt. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark ix. 21 Hu lang tid is syððan him þis ᵹebyrede. c 1205 Lay. 4154 Swulc nes næuere eær on erde swoððen..þe Bruttes come hær liðen. c 1300 Harrowing Hell (Digby MS.) 32 Almest so muchel hit is agon Suþþen þat i bicom furst mon. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 138 Sutthen þis barn was ybore, beoþ þritty wynter passed. |
2. = sith conj. 2.
| α c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 21 Whu shal þat wurðe, siððen [L. quoniam] wapman me ne atrineð? c 1220 Bestiary 160 Ðis neddre, siðen he nede sal, makeð seld of his bodi. 13.. Cursor M. 3167 (Gött.), Quar sal we take þe best,..Siþen we wid vs broght hiþer nan? c 1375 Lay Folks Catech. (Lamb. MS.) 273 Þis ys Iesus oure lord..sythen he made vs of noȝt. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. (1908) 49 And sithen crist..chas that.., sothely that is best. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xxii. 69 Sythen I haue made yow knyghte thow must yeue me a gyfte. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxxi. (Percy Soc.) 153 Thus, sithen Nature hath you well indued With so much beaute,..Exyle Disdayne. |
| β c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 77 Hu scal þat bon, soþþen na Mon mine likame irineð. a 1200 Vices & Virtues 65 Hu scolde godd..hauen rewðe..of ðe, seððen ðu..ne hafst nu hier none of ðe seluen? c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 239 (Kölbing), Seþþen þe king yslawe was.., A king þai mosten haue swiþe. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 545 (Corpus), Siþen his face was so disfigured..He mighte wel..Lyue in Athenes eueremore vnknowe. c 1450 Lovelich Merlin 9966 Sethen hit is so as that ȝe seyn. c 1500 Melusine 163, I beseche you.., sethen I moste departe your presens, to call me ofte in your remembraunce. |
| β a 1200 Moral Ode 205 Suððen God nom swa muchele wrake..we muȝen eðe us adrede. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xx. 272 Suthen charite..chargeþ this so sore. |
b. So
sithen that,
= sith conj. 2 b.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. iv. (Skeat) I. 241 Sithen that god al thing thus beforn wot. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xiv. 73 Holi Scripture is a reuerend thing.., sythen that bi it..the Cristen Chirche of God takith her feith. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 50 For noo thynge I shal suffre the to do that fayte sythen that thou arte not presently in helthe. |
C. prep. 1. = sith prep. 1.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 5 Eche lif..þat is ȝiarked siðen þe biginninge of þes woreld. 13.. Cursor M. 5670 (Gött.), Siþen quen was þu vr domesman? 1414 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 57/2 Myne adversaries hav..holden me in prison, sithen Seynt Katerynes day twelve Monthes last passed into this tyme. 1500 Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905) 236 Olde dett that was dew sethen the tyme off Iohn Mylton. 1581 Nowell & Day in Conf. i. (1584) D iij b, The space of a xi. hundred yeeres..sithen the Tridentine Councill. |
2. = sith prep. 2.
| a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 963, Ðis wæs ᵹedon syððon ure Drihtnes acennednesse dccclxxii0. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ix. 164 Many a peire sithen þe pestilence han pliȝt hem to-gideres. 1415 Sir T. Grey in 43rd Rep. Dep. Keeper Rec. 583, I spake never withe hem sethen yat tyme. 1469 Paston Lett. II. 368 Whych appoyntements sythen yourr departyng hath be largely remembryd. 1535–6 Act 27 Hen. VIII, c. 42 By an Acte made sithen the begynnyng of this parliament. a 1604 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 70 And sithen that time, hath sprung not all to the pleasure of God. |