the

Meanings

1. 1
   det

   Used before a noun phrase, including a simple noun

   I’m reading the book Mary reviewed. (Compare I’m reading a book Mary reviewed.)

2. 2
   det

   Used with an adjective

   That apple pie was the best.

3. 3
   adv

   With a comparative or with more and a verb phrase, establishes a correlation with one or more other such comparatives.

   The hotter(,) the better. (comma usually omitted in such very short expressions)

4. 4
   adv

   With a comparative, and often with for it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated with none.

   It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it.

5. 5
   adv

   Beyond all others.

   We went the furthest under her leadership.

6. 6
   prep

   For each; per.

   valued at half a pound the bushel; paying seven dollars the year interest

7. 7
   pron

   Obsolete form of thee.

   Feſtus ſayde with a lowde voyce: Paul / thou arte beſides thy ſilfe. Moche learnynge hath made the mad.

Etymology

From Middle English þe, from Old English þē m (“the, that”, demonstrative pronoun), a late variant of sē, the s- (which occurred in the masculine and feminine nominative singular only) having been replaced by the þ- from the oblique stem. replaced words, cognates Originally neutral nominative, in Middle English it superseded all previous Old English nominative forms (sē m, sēo f, þæt n, þā pl); sē is from Proto-West Germanic *siz, from Proto-Germanic *sa, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só. Cognate with Saterland Frisian die (“the”), West Frisian de (“the”), Dutch de (“the”), German Low G…