thats
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]thats
- plural of that
- 1998, David L. Hall, Roger T. Ames, Thinking from the Han, page 247:
- As such, they do not have the ontological weight of "Being" and "Not-being," but serve simply as an explanatory vocabulary necessary to describe our world of thises and thats.
Pronoun
[edit]thats
- (West Midlands, Northern Ireland) whose, of which
- 2007, Paul Mavis, review of the 1983 film "Hundra", DVD Talk, March 25th
- set about to make a spoofy fantasy adventure thats focus would be on a gorgeous, blonde, man-hating super-warrior who was subservient to no one.
- 2008 September 25, jules, “That's or thats? (grammar help please!)?”, in Yahoo! Answers[1], archived from the original on 2011-07-01; quoted in Mark Liberman, “'That's'”, in Language Log[2], 2014 March 28, archived from the original on 2014-04-08:
- So I'm writing a paper and I'm saying, "Darfur is a region of western Sudan thats government is…" My question is about the "that"– should it be "that's" (even though that means "that is") or "thats" (with no apostrophe)?
- 2015, James Harbeck, The future of English includes an apostrophe-less 'thats', The Week
- Let me tell you about a word thats time has come.
- 2007, Paul Mavis, review of the 1983 film "Hundra", DVD Talk, March 25th
Usage notes
[edit]- Generally used in dialects which require an animate antecedent for whose.
- Distinguished from the contraction that's with an apostrophe, analogously to its and it's, or whose and its homonym who's.[1]
Alternative forms
[edit]Contraction
[edit]thats
- Obsolete form of that's.
- c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
- Why thats the way to choake a gibing ſpirrit, / Whoſe influence is begot of that looſe grace, / Which ſhallow laughing hearers giue to fooles, […]
- c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- No eye hath ſeene ſuch skarcrovves. Ile not march vvith them through Couentry vvith them, thats flat: […]
- c. 1599 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], The History of Antonio and Mellida. The First Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Mathewe Lownes, and Thomas Fisher, […], published 1602, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- He is made like a tilting staffe; and lookes / For all the world like an ore-rosted pigge: / A great Tobacco taker too, thats flat.
- 1599, [Thomas] Nashe, “To His Readers, Hee Cares Not What They Be”, in Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC:
- Euery man can ſay Bee to a Battledore, and write in prayſe of Vertue, and the ſeuen Liberall Sciences, threſh corne out of the full ſheaues, and fetch water out of the Thames; but out of drie ſtubble to make an after harueſt, and a plentifull croppe without ſowing, and wring iuice out of a flint, thats Pierce a Gods name, and the right tricke of a workman.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- When yond fame ſtarre thats weaſtward from the pole […]
- 1601–1602 (date written), attributed to Thomas Dekker and/or Thomas Middleton, Blurt Master-Constable. Or The Spaniards Night-walke. […], London: […] [Edward Allde] for Henry Rockytt, […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature B2, verso:
- At your pleaſure thats rare; then rovvlie, povvlie, our vviues ſhall lye at your commaund: […]
- 1663, Edward Waterhous [i.e., Edward Waterhouse], chapter XLVIII, in Fortescutus Illustratus; or A Commentary on that Nervous Treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ, Written by Sir John Fortescue Knight, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Roycroft for Thomas Dicas […], →OCLC, page 517:
- [The game of dice and ball] is near of kin, in the nature of the vvord to that game of Cock-all, vvhich boyes uſe amongſt us, vvhich Cock-all, is as much vvin and take all, as a Cock does vvho victorying, has not onely the praiſe of all, but vvins all thats laied on the match by the Abettors againſt him.