Etymology From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian tai̇̃, Polish to.
Introducing a clause that is the object of a verb, especially a reporting verb or verb expressing belief, knowledge, perception, etc.
He told me that the book is a good read.
I believe that it is true.
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I can see that the ladder won't reach.
Pidgin is a combination of expressions and phrases that are recognizable to those who speak it. To non-Pidgin speakers, it may sound like slang. For example, “dat” means that and “fadda” means father or dad.2015 November 12, Bu Kerry Chan Laddaran, “Pidgin English now an official language of Hawaii”, in CNN:
› Introducing a clause that is the subject of…
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As delayed subject.
It is almost certain that she will come.
It amazes me that people still believe this nonsense.
That people still believe this nonsense amazes me.
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Introducing a clause that complements an adjective or passive participle.
I'm sure that you are right.
She is convinced that he is British.
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Expressing a reason or cause: because, in that.
Be glad that you have enough to eat.
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Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb.
Was John there? — Not that I saw.
How often did she visit him? — Twice that I saw.
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"[…c. 1867, Anthony Trollope, The Claverings:
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Introducing a clause that describes the information content of a preceding reporting noun.
I heard a rumour that they got married.
Reports that he left the country are circulating.
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Introducing — especially, but not exclusively, with an antecedent like so or such — a subordinate clause expressing a result, consequence, or effect.
The noise was so loud that she woke up.
The problem was sufficiently important that it had to be addressed.
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My dad apparently always said that no child of his would ever be harassed for its poor eating habits, and then I arrived, and I was so disgusting that he revised his opinion.2008 May 23, Zoe Williams, “I swore I wouldn't be an embarrassing mother. But the key to being a success in life is changing your mind, right?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2014:
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Dated Introducing a subordinate clause that expresses an aim, purpose, or goal ("final"), and usually contains the auxiliaries may, might, or should: so, so that, in order that.
He fought that others might have peace.
Baſſ[anio]. Be aſſured you may. / Shy[lock]. I will be aſſured I may: and that I may be aſſured, I will bethinke me, may I ſpeake with Anthonio?c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signature B2, verso:
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When hungry Judges ſoon the Sentence ſign, / And Wretches hang that Jury-men may Dine; […]1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, canto I, page 360:
Ellen's mamma was going out to pay a visit, but she left the children a large piece of rich plumcake to divide between them, that they might play at making feasts.1833, Parley's Magazine, volume 1, page 23:
That he might ascertain whether any of the cloths of ancient Egypt were made of hemp, M. Dutrochet has examined with the microscope the weavable filaments of this last vegetable.1837, The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, volume 23, page 222:
[…]Since one might well forget to weep who bore / Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby. / But love me for love's sake, that evermore / Thou may'st love on through love's eternity.c. 1845–1846, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, in Poems. […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1850, →OCLC, sonnet XIV, page 451:
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Archaic, Poetic Introducing a premise or supposition for consideration: seeing as; inasmuch as; given that; as would appear from the fact that.
What are you mad, that you doe reaſon ſo?c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 91, column 2:
[I]n short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.1859, Charles Dickens, “The Period”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book I (Recalled to Life), page 1:
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“She must be wonderfully fascinating,” said Mrs Morel, with scathing satire. “She must be very wonderful, that you should trail eight miles, backward and forward, after eight o’clock at night.”c. 1911, D.H. Lawrence, third draft of what became Sons and Lovers, in Helen Baron (editor), Paul Morel, Cambridge University Press (2003), page 234
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Archaic, Poetic Introducing an exclamation expressing a desire or wish.
Oh that spring would come!
O that they were wiſe, and vnderſtoode, […]1609, The Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomie 32:29, page 463:
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'Would that my rage and wrath would somehow stir me, / Here as I am, to cut off thy raw flesh / And eat it, […]1864, T. S. Norgate's translation of the Iliad, book 10, page 613
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Archaic, Poetic Introducing an exclamation expressing a strong emotion such as sadness or surprise.
That men should behave in such a way!
Oh that I'd never set eyes on him!
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That you could think such a thing!
I pray thee marke me, that a brother ſhould / Be ſo perfidious: […]1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 2, column 2:
Etymology From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian tai̇̃, Polish to.
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Demonstrative The (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.
That book is a good read. This one isn't.
That battle was in 1450.
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That cat of yours is evil.
The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 110:
She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creation, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.1921, Ben Travers, “Westward Ho!”, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC, part I (“Come He Will”), page 8:
‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 242:
Etymology From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian tai̇̃, Polish to.
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Demonstrative The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action, or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.
That's my car over there.
He went home, and after that I never saw him again.
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‘Who's that?’ ‘It’s me.’.
To be, or not to be, that is the queſtion, / Whether tis nobler in the minde to ſuffer / The ſlings and arrowes of outragious fortune, / Or to take Armes againſt a ſea of troubles, / And by oppoſing, end them, […]c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature G2, recto:
[A] second man—[…]—was qualified and fitted, both intellectually and morally,—and that to an exceptional extent—to be the Head […]1888 July, The Original Secession Magazine, page 766:
"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “In the Bay of Biscay”, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 16:
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Demonstrative Used to refer to a noun phrase or statement just made.
They're getting divorced. What do you think about that?
They gave me the book about whales. That I've not yet read.
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She asked me to lend him my tools. That I couldn't do.
I got fed up, and that to a great degree.
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Demonstrative Used to emphatically affirm or deny a previous statement or question.
The water is so cold! — That it is.
Would you like another piece of cake? — That I would!
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We think that you stole the tarts. — That I did not!
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Relative In a relative clause, referring to a previously mentioned noun, as subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition; which, who.
I didn't see the car that hit me.
The CPR course that she took really came in handy.
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The house that he lived in was old and dilapidated.
This is the person that swore at me. (sometimes proscribed)
The poor cat, that had been trapped for three days, was freed this morning. (non-restrictive use; sometimes proscribed; see usage notes)
By heauen ile make a ghoſt of him that lets me, […]c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature C3, verso:
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Colloquial, Relative Used in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.
the place that [= where or to which] I went last year
Etymology From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian tai̇̃, Polish to.
› To a given extent or degree.
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Denoting an equal degree.
Here's the measurement – the ribbon must be that long, no longer and no shorter.
2
Denoting 'as much', 'no less'.
She said we waited for three hours, but I'm sure it wasn't that long.
It didn't seem like ten miles, but actually it was that far.
3
In negative constructions To a great extent or degree; very, particularly.
I was seen quite quickly — I didn't have to wait that long.
I did the run last year, and it wasn't that difficult.
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How was the play? ~ Not all that good.
You're fun to spend time with, but I'm not that into you.
This was carried with that little noise that for a good space the vigilant Bishop was not awak'd with it.1693, John Hacket, “Scrinia reserata: a Memorial offered to the great Deservings of John Williams”, in Archbishop Williams:
that
noun
Etymology From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata). Further from Proto-Indo-European *tód; compare Ancient Greek τό (tó), Sanskrit तद् (tád), Waigali ta, Lithuanian tai̇̃, Polish to.
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Human sciences, Philosophy, Sciences Something being indicated that is there; one of those.
As such, they do not have the ontological weight of "Being" and "Not-being," but serve simply as an explanatory vocabulary necessary to describe our world of thises and thats.1998, David L. Hall, Roger T. Ames, Thinking from the Han, page 247: