Now only dial. Forms: α. (north. dial. and Sc.) (3 þat an), 4 þe tan, 4–5 þe tane, 4–6 the tayne, 6 the taine, 4–9 the tane, (9 the taen). β. 3–5 þe ton, (4 þe tonn), 4–5 þe toon, þe tone, 4–6 the ton, 4–7 the tone, 5 the toon, (6 the tonn, 7 the t’one). γ. (without the) 6–7 ton, 6–8 tone, 8 t’on, 9 t’one, (t’an). [Early ME. þe tān, þe tôn, for earlier þet or þat ān, ‘the one’ (see THAT dem. adj. 5); the t of þet being attached to ān, ôn, when þe became the general form of the definite article. Normally used in antithesis to þe toþer, the tother, which had a similar origin: see TOTHER. This usage cannot have arisen until the OE. antithesis of óðer … óðer, as in L. alter … alter, gave place to án … oðer, as in Fr. l’un … l’autre; nor until þæt (þet, þat) was usable for masc. and fem. as well as neuter, i.e., between 1200 and 1250: see ONE numeral 18, OTHER a. B. 1, 2. Used absolutely or pronominally, the tone is found in literature down to c. 1600, and in many dialects to the present day; in Sc. the tane is in ordinary use. But as an adj., preceding a sb., esp. before a consonant, it was reduced at an early date to þe tā, þe tô, still in Sc. the tae (see TO a.); although the full the tone … the tother was also frequent, until gradually superseded in literary Eng. by the one … the other, dialectally and colloquially also tone … tother, later sometimes written t’one … t’other. This, in the northern Eng. dialects in which the definite article regularly appears as tĕ, tă, t’, may really stand for t’one, t’olher; but elsewhere, where the article is not te, t’, it is perhaps rather ’t one … ’t other, due to the dropping of the from the tone … the tother. In both the tone and the tother, the is omitted after a possessive pronoun or case, as dial. his tone or to hand, Sc. his tae hand = ‘one of his hands.’ For full illustration of existing dialect use, see Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v. Tone.]
The one (of two): often opposed to tother.
1. as pron.
α. [a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1373 (MS. C). Þa ȝeide þus ꝥ an, & elnede þe oðre.]
13[?]. Cursor M., 1533 (Cott.). Tua pilers þai mad, o tile þe tan, Þe toþer it was o merbul stan [Gött. and Fairf. þat an, þe toþer; Trin. þat oon, þat oþer].
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 167. Me thoght att ij angels led þe tane of you vnto hevyn & þe toder vnto hell.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. vi. 25. The tane born of Epiria, And the todir was of Archadia.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Drink Ecl., Poems (1845), 49. Brandy the tane, the tither whiskey.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxxviii. They will neither want the tane nor the tother while Lord Evandale lives.
β. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4005. Þe toon men calle Eutycyus, Þe touþer hyght Florentyus.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 190. Neiþer þe ton ne þe toiþer.
[c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. T., 479. That oon spak thus vn to that oother Thou knowest wel thou art my sworn brother.]
a. 1425. Cursor M., 13966 (Trin.). His sistres two, Þe toon was martha to seyn And þat oþere Maudeleyn.
1426. Rolls of Parlt., V. 409/1. My said ii Lordes or the toon of hem.
1522. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 79/2. Within a litle while die the tone may, the tother muste.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., Pref. ¶ vj. The tone begins, Arma virumque cano. The tother [begins] [etc.].
1891. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., 448. Both the tone an’ the tother on ’em.
γ. 1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 123. Vse ton for thy spinning, leaue Mihel the tother.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., ix. 19. Well, tone of you hath this goblet about you.
1632. Brome, Court Beggar, III. i. Wks. 1873, I. 230. I’le jowle your heads together, and so beat ton with tother.
a. 1800. Pegge, Suppl. Grose, Ton Tother, one another. Derb.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Words, s.v. Tane, Gi me t’an or tother.
1900. [see Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v. TONE].
2. as adj. preceding a sb.
α, β. c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2196. Al but ðe ton broðer symeon.
13[?]. Cursor M., 7074 (Gött.). Bot as þe tonn half a-gayn þat oþer.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 284. Men speken now of Crist bi þe toon kynde and now by þe toþer.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13206. The ton Egh in the toile lost tynt he belyue.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. i. Wks. 206. The hole church had neuer taken all the tone sorte and reiected all the tother.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), I. 254. At the tonn end set Cesar in his trune, And at the tother stude king Caratac.
1552. Lyndesay’s Poems, To Rdrs. (E.E.T.S. p. 318). The quhilkis ar verray fals, And wantis the tane half.
1584. Cogan, Haven Health, ccxli. (1636), 274. That wee lie on the tone side.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. I. v. 48. The t’one halfe of an old broken great Pitcher.
γ. a. 1765. K. Estmere, xxvii. in Child, Ballads, III. (1885), 53/1. Tone day to marrye Kyng Adlands daughter, Tother daye to carrye her home.
a. 1800. Pegge, Suppl. Grose, s.v. Ton-End, It must be set a t’on end.
