antan

yesteryear, days of old

noun ahn-TAHN Rare

Origin: Old French antan, from Latin ante annum (before the year)

Usage Note

Antan survives almost exclusively in the fixed literary phrase d'antan ('of yesteryear'), as immortalised by Villon's line 'Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?' It is never used as a free-standing noun in modern prose. It is masculine singular and has no plural in current usage.

Examples

"Il regrettait les charmes d'antan."

Natural Translation

He missed the charms of yesteryear.

Literal Translation

He regretted the charms of yesteryear.

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