From Middle English there, ther, thare, thar, thore, from Old English þēr, þǣr, þār (“there; at that place”), from Proto-West Germanic *þār, from Proto-Germanic *þar (“at that place; there”), from Proto-Indo-European *tó-r (“there”), from demonstrative pronominal base *to- (“the, that”) + adverbial suffix *-r. Cognate with Scots thar, thair (“there”), North Frisian dear, deer, där (“there”), Saterland Frisian deer (“there”), West Frisian dêr (“there”), Dutch daar (“there”), Low German dar (“there”), German da, dar- (“there”), Danish der (“there”), Norwegian der (“there”), Swedish där (“there”), Icelandic þar (“in that place, there”).
Location In or at a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) that is perceived to be away from, or at a relative distance from, the speaker (compare here).
I know Bristol quite well as I used to live there.
I looked in the cupboard and my keys were there!
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The air there is beneficial to health.
I consulted Wikipedia, and it says there that he died in 1970.
The view up here is better than the view down there!
There's that book I've been looking for!
2
LocationFiguratively At that point, stage, etc., visualised as a distinct place.
He did not stop there, but continued his speech.
They patched up their differences, but matters did not end there.
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The law, that threaten’d death, becomes thy friend / And turns it to exile; there art thou happy.c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
3
LocationAs complement of 'be' In a notional place where one will provide support or care; see also be there.
You know that I will always be there for you.
4
LocationAs complement of 'be' In existence in some place.
I know that aliens are there, somewhere.
5
LocationInformal, As complement of 'be' In its correct position, so as to be fully and properly fitted or inserted.
If I just push this in here like this, it should .... Ah! Good! It's there!
6
LocationInformal After the name of a person perceived as located 'away' from the speaker, used familiarly to indicate that person.
Jim there has been with the company for twenty years.
7
LocationDialectal After certain determiners, especially 'them', 'that' and 'those', used to emphasise demonstrative sense; see also them there.
Your dog's been a-chasin' those there chickens.
8
LocationInformal, As complement of 'be' In a notional place or situation of mental soundness and competence; see also all there.
I spoke to her, but she didn't make much sense. I don't think she's totally there.
9
Location To or into a place or location; thither.
I've never been to Disneyland. Can we go there?
A knight there was, and that a worthy man / […]1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “(please specify the story via the 'title' parameter)”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:
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And the rarest that e’er came there.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 II, scene i]:
So that wherever there is sense or perception, there some idea is actually produced, and present in the understanding.1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter IX, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, Job, 28, vii, There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
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Location Into an undesirable topic or subject matter; see also go there.
He started to talk about ... you know ... and I told him please don't go there.
In this world: used to say that someone or something exists; see also pronoun section below.
These firms do not want the truth to get out and are financing these flights in the hope of dazzling the public. Yet the record of the gas engine is there for all to see.1928 January, Captain Ferdinand Tuohy, “Why Don't We Fly?”, in Popular Science, page 144:
From Middle English there, ther, thare, thar, thore, from Old English þēr, þǣr, þār (“there; at that place”), from Proto-West Germanic *þār, from Proto-Germanic *þar (“at that place; there”), from Proto-Indo-European *tó-r (“there”), from demonstrative pronominal base *to- (“the, that”) + adverbial suffix *-r. Cognate with Scots thar, thair (“there”), North Frisian dear, deer, där (“there”), Saterland Frisian deer (“there”), West Frisian dêr (“there”), Dutch daar (“there”), Low German dar (“there”), German da, dar- (“there”), Danish der (“there”), Norwegian der (“there”), Swedish där (“there”), Icelandic þar (“in that place, there”).
1
Used to offer encouragement or sympathy; see also there, there and there now.
There, there. Everything is going to turn out all right.
2
Used to express victory or completion.
There! That knot should hold.
there
noun
Etymology
From Middle English there, ther, thare, thar, thore, from Old English þēr, þǣr, þār (“there; at that place”), from Proto-West Germanic *þār, from Proto-Germanic *þar (“at that place; there”), from Proto-Indo-European *tó-r (“there”), from demonstrative pronominal base *to- (“the, that”) + adverbial suffix *-r. Cognate with Scots thar, thair (“there”), North Frisian dear, deer, där (“there”), Saterland Frisian deer (“there”), West Frisian dêr (“there”), Dutch daar (“there”), Low German dar (“there”), German da, dar- (“there”), Danish der (“there”), Norwegian der (“there”), Swedish där (“there”), Icelandic þar (“in that place, there”).
1
That place (previously mentioned or otherwise implied).
We need someone to take us from here to there.
anyway what was the use of my having come from Oakland it was not natural to have come from there yes write about it if I like or anything if I like but not there, there is no there there.1937, Gertrude Stein, Everybody's Autobiography, page 289:
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Some of these theres are actual, that is, situated in currently ... Other theres are only virtual1993, Edward S. Casey, Getting back into place: toward a renewed understanding of the place-world, page 54:
2
That situation; that position.
You rinse and de-string the green beans; I'll take it from there.
there
pron
Etymology
From Middle English there, ther, thare, thar, thore, from Old English þēr, þǣr, þār (“there; at that place”), from Proto-West Germanic *þār, from Proto-Germanic *þar (“at that place; there”), from Proto-Indo-European *tó-r (“there”), from demonstrative pronominal base *to- (“the, that”) + adverbial suffix *-r. Cognate with Scots thar, thair (“there”), North Frisian dear, deer, där (“there”), Saterland Frisian deer (“there”), West Frisian dêr (“there”), Dutch daar (“there”), Low German dar (“there”), German da, dar- (“there”), Danish der (“there”), Norwegian der (“there”), Swedish där (“there”), Icelandic þar (“in that place, there”).
1
Used as an expletive subject of be in its sense of “exist”, with the semantic, usually indefinite subject being postponed or (occasionally) implied.
There are two apples on the table. [=Two apples are on the table.]
There is no way to do it. [=No way to do it exists.]
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Is there an answer? [=Does an answer exist?]
No, there isn't. [=No, one doesn't exist.]
1908, C. H. Bovill (lyrics), Jerome D. Kern (music), There’s Something Rather Odd About Augustus, song from the musical Fluffy Ruffles, It's very sad but all the same, / There’s something rather odd about Augustus.
1909, Leo Tolstoy, translator not mentioned, There are No Guilty People, in The Forged Coupon and Other Stories, There was a time when I tried to change my position, which was not in harmony with my conscience; […] .
2
Used with other intransitive verbs of existence, in the same sense, or with other intransitive verbs, adding a sense of existence.
If x is a positive number, then there exists [=there is] a positive number y less than x.
There remain several problems with this approach. [=Several problems remain with this approach.]
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Once upon a time, in a now-forgotten kingdom, there lived a woodsman with his wife. [=There was a woodsman, who lived with his wife.]
There arose a great wind out of the east. [=There was now a great wind, arising in the east.]
1895, Sabine Baring-Gould, A Book of Nursery Songs and Rhymes: Nursery Songs, XXII: The Tree in the Wood, All in a wood there grew a fine tree,
1897, James Baldwin, The Story of Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Home, in Four Great Americans, Not far from Hodgensville, in Kentucky, there once lived a man whose name was Thomas Lincoln.
3
Used with other verbs, when raised.
There seems to be some difficulty with the papers. [=It seems that there is some difficulty with the papers.]
I expected there to be a simpler solution. [=I expected that there would be a simpler solution.]
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There are beginning to be complications. [=It's beginning to be the case that there are complications.]
There aren't supposed to be two people at the post.