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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

for that en · CCONJ

Pronunciation

  • (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English for that, from an alteration of Old English for þon (þe), with the instrumental demonstrative pronoun þon replaced by nominative/accusative þæt due to levelling of the Old English declensional system in Middle English. Equivalent to for (“because of”) + that. Compare forthan, a parallel descendant of the same construction without the declensional levelling.

Meanings

  1. (archaic) Because.
    • At this his relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed. 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress:
    • Being desired to name some other persons for whom he made shoes; says, he made shoes for madam Loftus, (and named several others) and added, that he had custom enough, for that he made shoes for the troop. 1813, Thomas Bayly Howell, “The Trial in Ejectment between Campbell Craig, Lessee of James Annesley, esq. and others, Plaintiff; and the Right Hon. Richard Earl of Anglesea, Defendant, A.D. 1743”, in A Complete Collection of State Trials, volume 17, page 1185:

Synonyms

as · since · given that