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adv

syne

syn
adv
1
Afterward; then (chiefly Scots and archaic).
"We'll meet again, and syne we'll talk it over."
prep
1
Since; ago (chiefly Scots and archaic).
"It has been many a year syne we last spoke."

How to Use Syne

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old Scots word for "since" or "ago" — most familiar today from the song "Auld Lang Syne," meaning roughly "old times long since past."

When to use it

Almost never used in modern standard English outside of Scots dialect and the phrase "auld lang syne."

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We'll meet again, and _____ we'll talk it over.

Etymology

From Middle English syne, a shortened form of "sithen," meaning "since."

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