thon
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Proposed in 1858 by Charles Crozat Converse from that + one.[1]
Compare also dialectal English and Scots thon (“that; yon”, adjective; pronoun), which is a blend of that + yon.
PronunciationEdit
PronounEdit
thon (third-person singular, gender-neutral, possessive thons, reflexive thonself)
- (nonstandard, rare, see usage notes) they (singular). Gender-neutral third-person singular subject pronoun, coordinate with gendered pronouns he and she.
- 1889 November, Converse, C. Crozat, “That Desired Impersonal Pronoun”, in The Writer[1], volume 3, number 2, Boston: William H. Hills, page 248:
- Every writer has "thons" verbal likes and dislikes, yet, for the sake of convenience, I trust that even "thon" who dislikes verbal innovations will give my little word a little trial and note for me the result.
- 1907 August, Larisunz, C. W., “Thε Sol:—Hwens?—Hwither?”, in Thε Jurnɑl ɵv ɷrthɵεpi & ɷrthɵgrɑfi[2], volume 24, number 8, page 153:
- 1985, Zinsser, William Knowlton, On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction[3], 3rd edition, New York: Harper & Row, →ISBN, LCCN 84048208, LCC PE1429.Z5 1985, page 121:
- (nonstandard, rare, see usage notes) them (singular). Gender-neutral third-person singular object pronoun, coordinate with gendered pronouns him and her.
- 1884 July 23, Converse, C. C., “A New Pronoun”, in The Critic and Good Literature[4], number 31, New York, page 55:
- If Mr. or Mrs. A. comes to the courthouse on Monday next I will be there to meet thon.
Usage notesEdit
A neologism when Charles Crozat Converse coined it in 1858, thon has seen limited use since then.
SynonymsEdit
HyponymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Quidnunc, “Thon—That's the Forewho”, American Speech, Volume 48, Number 3/4 (Autumn–Winter 1973), pages 300-302
Further readingEdit
- Gender-specific and gender-neutral pronouns on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
AnagramsEdit
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin thunnus, thynnus (itself from Ancient Greek θύννος (thúnnos)), possibly through the intermediate of Old Occitan ton.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
thon m (plural thons)
- tuna
- (derogatory) an ugly woman
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “thon” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Middle FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
First attested 1393 as ton. Borrowed from Latin thunnus, thynnus, possibly via Old Occitan ton although the Middle French is attested earlier than the Old Occitan[1].
NounEdit
thon m (plural thons)
- tuna (fish)
DescendantsEdit
- French: ton
ReferencesEdit
- ^ “thon” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
ScotsEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
thon (not comparable)
- Alternative form of yon
PronounEdit
thon
- Alternative form of yon
AdverbEdit
thon (not comparable)
- Alternative form of yon
VietnameseEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
Derived termsEdit
Derived terms