than

than
I. conjunction Etymology: Middle English than, then then, than — more at then Date: before 12th century 1. a. — used as a function word to indicate the second member or the member taken as the point of departure in a comparison expressive of inequality; used with comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs <
older than I am
>
<
easier said than done
>
b. — used as a function word to indicate difference of kind, manner, or identity; used especially with some adjectives and adverbs that express diversity <
anywhere else than at home
>
2. rather than — usually used only after prefer, preferable, and preferably 3. other than 4. when 1b — used especially after scarcely and hardly II. preposition Date: 1560 in comparison with <
you are older than me
>
Usage: After about 200 years of innocent if occasional use, the preposition than was called into question by 18th century grammarians. Some 200 years of elaborate and sometimes tortuous reasoning have led to these present-day inconsistent conclusions: than whom is standard but clumsy <
Beelzebub…than whom, Satan except, none higher sat — John Milton
>
<
T. S. Eliot, than whom nobody could have been more insularly English — Anthony Burgess
>
; than me may be acceptable in speech <
a man no mightier than thyself or me — Shakespeare
>
<
why should a man be better than me because he's richer than me — William Faulkner, in a talk to students
>
; than followed by a third-person objective pronoun (her, him, them) is usually frowned upon. Surveyed opinion tends to agree with these conclusions. Our evidence shows that the conjunction is more common than the preposition, that than whom is chiefly limited to writing, and that me is more common after the preposition than the third-person objective pronouns. You have the same choice Shakespeare had: you can use than either as a conjunction or as a preposition.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • than — [ strong ðæn, weak ðən ] function word *** Than can be used in the following ways: as a conjunction (connecting two clauses or phrases): We shouldn t spend more than we earn. as a preposition (followed by a noun): I m taller than my dad.… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • than — W1S1 [ðən strong ðæn] conj, prep [: Old English; Origin: thanne, thAnne] 1.) used when comparing two things, people, situations etc ▪ Natalie was prettier than her sister. ▪ You need that money more than I do. ▪ There were more people there than… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Than — is a grammatical particle serving as both conjunction and preposition in the English language. It introduces a comparison, and as such is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure… …   Wikipedia

  • than — [than] conj. [ME than, thene, thonne < OE thenne, thanne, thonne, orig., then: for IE base see THAT] 1. introducing the second element in a comparison, following an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree: if the first element is a… …   English World dictionary

  • Than — ([th][a^]n), conj. [OE. than, thon, then, thanne, thonne, thenne, than, then, AS. [eth]anne, [eth]onne, [eth][ae]nne; akin to D. dan, OHG. danne, G. dann then, denn than, for, Goth. [thorn]an then, and to E. the, there, that. See {That}, and cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • than — 1. Than is normally used to introduce the second element in a comparison, and acts either as a conjunction (He is older than I am) or as a preposition (He is older than me). In uses such as He is older than I, than is normally regarded as a… …   Modern English usage

  • than — ► CONJUNCTION & PREPOSITION 1) introducing the second element in a comparison. 2) used to introduce an exception or contrast. 3) used in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another. USAGE Traditionally, it has been… …   English terms dictionary

  • Than — ist der Familienname von: Abraham Than (* 1927), Altbischof von Kengtung Karl Than (1834–1908), ungarischer Chemiker Mór Than (1828–1899), ungarischer Maler Walter Than (* 1921), deutscher Tischtennisspieler Siehe auch Thane Tann Thanh Thann …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • than — O.E. þan, conjunctive particle used after a comparative adjective or adverb, from þanne, þænne, þonne then (see THEN (Cf. then)). Developed from the adverb then, and not distinguished from it in spelling until c.1700. The earliest use is in West… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Than — Than, adv. Then. See {Then}. [Obs.] Gower. [1913 Webster] Thanne longen folk to gon on pilgrimages. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Than — (angelsächs. thegn, thên, althochd. degan, schott. than, thayne), ursprünglich der kriegerische Gefolgsmann des angelsächsischen Königs, seit dem 10. Jahrh. erblicher Großgrundbesitzer. Der T. entspricht in der Entwickelungsgeschichte des… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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