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The word ''that'' is used in the English Language for several Grammatical purposes:


In the Old English Language ''that'' was spelled ''þæt''. It was also abbreviated as a letter Thorn, '' þ '', with the ascender crossed ( ). In Middle English the letter Ash, '' æ '', was replaced with the letter ''a'', so that ''that'' was spelled ''þat'', or sometimes ''þet''. The ascender of the ''þ'' was reduced (making it similar to the Old English letter Wynn , ), which necessitated writing a small ''t'' above the letter to abbreviate the word ''that'' ( ). In latter Middle English and Early Modern English the ''þ'' evolved into a ''y'' shape, so that the word was spelled ''yat'' (although the spelling with a ''th'' replacing the ''þ'' was starting to become more popular) and the abbreviation for ''that'' was a ''y'' with a small ''t'' above it ( ). This abbreviation can still be seen in reprints of the 1611 edition of the King James Version Of The Bible in places such as 2 Corinthians 13:7.


HOMOPHONOUS PHRASES


"That" can be used five times in row in a grammatically correct sentence:

He said that that 'that' that that man used was wrong.http://www.rightwords.co.nz/that.html

Or six times:

He said that that 'that' that that 'that' modified was wrong.

Or seven times:http://www.bartleby.com/81/16383.html

Did the editor know that, that that 'that' that that 'that' followed was redundant?http://www.opundo.com/sayagain.htm


The same thing is possible with the German equivalent of that 'das', with the exception that 'das' is sometimes written 'dass' (or older 'daß') to make it easier to read, though it's pronounced the same way.

The pattern can be repeated infinitely and retain its grammatical correctness.http://www.jtbullitt.com/levity/that.html


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SEE ALSO