[In I. prob. OE. þýs, þís, instrumental case of THIS dem. pron.; in II. app. advb. use of accus. sing. neuter (cf. THAT adv.). In some instances, perhaps an alteration of THUS adv.]
I. † 1. In this way or manner; like this; thus.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, i. (Petrus), 729. And þis he ȝalde þe spyrit.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 3123. When þis lomb had þis y-ron þrye þe tomb abouȝt.
a. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 1043. I wyll not haue it so, I wyll haue it this.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S. T. S.), I. 368. And this the King of Scotland depairtit out of France.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 205. What am I that thou shouldst contemne me this?
II. † 2. To this extent or degree; as much as this; thus. Obs. exc. as in b. (Cf. THAT adv.)
c. 1460. Wisdom, 936, in Macro Plays, 66. To clense þe soull wyche ys þis fowll.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.), II. 11. Elles this boulde durste he not be, To make such araye.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccclxxviii. 631. Let vs go forwarde, let vs nat be this a colde to make warr.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 60. This vmbeset I am on eurie syde.
b. Qualifying an adj. or adv. of quantity, now chiefly in this much (where this is perh. felt as the pronoun = ‘as much as this’). (Cf. THAT adv. b.)
c. 1460. Wisdom, 982, in Macro Plays, 67. I be-gyn awake, I that þis longe hath slumberyde in syne.
1586. Sir F. Walsingham, in Leycester’s Corr. (Camden), 230. This myche have I receyved from her majestye.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 62. And this far of the Iles called Hebrides.
1675. Baxter, Cath. Theol., II. viii. 190. Having said this much preparatorily.
1763. C. Johnston, Reverie, I. 23. He might have spared himself the trouble even of this much.
1877. Ruskin, Fors Clav., lxxxii. 324. Perhaps this much of Plato is enough for one letter.
1884. J. P. Norris, in Shakespeariana, May, 181. None of the portraits mentioned by Walpole are dated this early.
1885. J. J. Murphy, in Brit. Q. Rev., July, 100. The Agnostic argument, must go this far if it is to be valid.
