English

for that

Because.

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    Origin

    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.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishfor that
      • inheritedOld Englishfor þon þe

    Sources