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There is a good discussion here (Referring to past times with "hence") that concludes that hence can't be used like "ago" to refer to a past event, not even to describe how much time has passed "since" that event.

However, what if using the past perfect and then referring to time forward from that point, Could "hence" be used there?

The specific construction I'm wondering about goes like this:

They had left me there to die. Even now, one-and-a-half moons hence, it would be a simple matter to follow their trail.

In that case, "hence" is a time forward from a point in the past as made clear by use of the past perfect ("had left me"). Is that appropriate usage, or can "hence" only refer to the actual future, not a future relative to a point in the past?

GraniteStateColin
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  • This seems similar to the erroneous use in the question you link to. I don't think it's correct. But this definition of "hence" is not used much in modern American English, so it's hard to be sure. Until I read the dictionary definitions in the answers to the other question, I didn't realize that the usage was wrong. – Barmar Nov 02 '23 at 20:51
  • In particular, the erroneous use in the other question tries to use "hence" relative to a past time, and all the answers say it's wrong. – Barmar Nov 02 '23 at 20:52
  • @Barmar, I believe that's for a fundamentally different reason with which I agree: "hence" is absolutely not a synonym for "since." It's a reference to time forward. I don't believe that precludes it being used for time forward from a point in the past. But I'm uncertain, hence (ha!) the question. – GraniteStateColin Nov 02 '23 at 21:00
  • A time since the past is thence. – Weather Vane Nov 02 '23 at 21:20
  • @WeatherVane: These matters completed, the agent arranged* for our tickets and hotel reservations. We were to leave two days hence.* I certainly wouldn't want to see *thence* there. Apart from anything else, *hence* is after/from that time, whereas thence** is from that place. Perhaps there's confusion with thereafter** (after that time in the *past), as opposed to hereafter* (after this time *now*). – FumbleFingers Nov 02 '23 at 21:48
  • The full OED includes II.4. † To or at a specified time in the past, as reckoned from… II.5. From this (or that) time forth; from now onwards… II.6. At a specified time from now; at some point in the future. – FumbleFingers Nov 02 '23 at 21:51
  • It depends on tense: your example is present simple, but you could also say "We left two days thence." – Weather Vane Nov 02 '23 at 21:52
  • @WeatherVane: Not so. See this chart. And this one. – FumbleFingers Nov 02 '23 at 21:56
  • The literal meaning of hence is from here. 'Here' isn't a time in the past. – Kate Bunting Nov 03 '23 at 08:59
  • You're obviously writing in a self-consciously archaic style if you're reckoning time with moons, so modern English usage isn't particularly relevant. I'd guess contextually this is set late 19th century US, but some more details would help pinpoint then-current usages. – Stuart F Nov 03 '23 at 11:39
  • @StuartF , hitting the correct tone and connotation of words is indeed an important consideration in this writing and part of the setting. I would not use "hence" for time in a conventional present-day setting. In our 21st century speak, use of "hence" is more limited to its other "therefore" meaning. Having said that, in asking my question, I am genuinely trying to understand the official correct usages of the word when referring to time and if the origin can be a point other than the literal "now." – GraniteStateColin Nov 03 '23 at 17:58
  • @KateBunting , yes, dictionary definitions clearly designate its meaning as from this point forward or this origin forward. However, such usages frequently permit that point of origin being in the past, provided it's clear as designated in my example by use of the past perfect to simple past transition. I think any definitive answer here needs to address that specific tense transition. – GraniteStateColin Nov 03 '23 at 18:05
  • @FumbleFingers , your Oxford Dictionary reference ( II.4. and II.5.) seems to state my usage is actually one of the official proper usages. Do you believe I'm interpreting that correctly? If so, then perhaps the tenses I've included are irrelevant and it's correct even without the added context. If you believe that's right, could you provide that response as an answer? I'll mark it as accepted. – GraniteStateColin Nov 03 '23 at 18:08
  • My comments were specifically directed at Weathervane, because I don't accept that *thence* is normally used for from that time.** It's nearly always from that place, but I do accept that it's not uncommon to reference time(s) with "spatial" metaphoric usages. Note that my cited example *We were to leave two days hence*** looks syntactically identical to the one you're asking about, and imho both are perfectly valid. I may gather up the substance of my comments and post an answer later, but I'm a bit tied up just now. – FumbleFingers Nov 03 '23 at 18:21
  • Hence can simply mean in the future, or later; tenses don’t matter. cf. They left me there to die. Even then, one-and-a-half moons later, it was a simple matter to follow their trail. – Tinfoil Hat Nov 06 '23 at 00:16
  • @Tinfoil Hat, if you could post that as answer, I'll accept it as the answer. – GraniteStateColin Nov 11 '23 at 16:18

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Hence does not always mean from now; it can mean in the future or later or even from then. From the OED:

hence adv.
II.6. At a specified time from now; at some point in the future.
Source: Oxford English Dictionary (login required)

Grammarist shows one of hence’s definitions as From now, from that time.

Although the OED’s seven usage samples all are of the sense of from now, and despite what the dictionary thumpers say, the corpus shows plenty of samples where it does not mean from now.

Here are some of the many samples from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (forgive me for offering so many, but I wanted to erase any doubts around anomalous or non-idiomatic usage):

The economy of the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century was sharply divided, on a line along which the nation itself would nearly cleave a few years hence.
(MAG: American Heritage, The Business of America. Gordon, John Steele)

Predicting market prices and the cost of technology 20 years hence has proven near impossible for just about everyone who as tried over the past 50 years.
(WEB: Scientific American, A Solar Grand Plan)

In 2008, when the US National Intelligence Council issued its latest report meant for the administration of newly elected President Barack Obama, it predicted that the planet’s “sole superpower“ would suffer a modest decline and a soft landing fifteen years hence.
(WEB: TomDispatch, Bill McKibben, The Most Important Story of Our Lives)

The story starts in the spring of 1992, as Salt Lake City was gearing up its campaign for the 2002 Olympic vote three years hence.
(NEWS: USA Today, Beyond the investigation Kim inquiry closed with questions unanswered. Mike Dodd)

Heroin would come years hence, as would a near-fatal overdose.
(NEWS: Chicago Sun-Times, How street kids live. Mike Thomas)

Lopez Rega was not there when I phoned, but when he returned my call we agreed to a date at ten in the morning two days hence.
(ACAD: American Scholar, Orange juice with General Peron. Falcoff, Mark)

He knew not what to make of the encounter. Nearly two years hence, it haunts him still.
(MAG: Rolling Stone, When your name is a punchline, you live in hell. Barry Manilow lives in hell. Zehme, B.; Risko, R.)

But just six days later, on August 11, the Watts race riots broke out in Los Angeles, leaving 34 dead. And six days hence, on the last day of rioting, the Moynihan Report on the break-down of the black family was issued to a firestorm of verbal violence.
(ACAD: Commentary, Moynihan. Siegel, Fred; Cove, Peter)

They all made bail and went home to await arraignment a few days hence, alongside other men who were charged with writing bad checks and fishing off the wrong Sarasota bridge.
(MAG: Rolling Stone, Who killed Pee Wee. Wilkinson, P.)

Eventually, Joy’s reputation and stature were more or less rehabilitated. And ten years hence most of what he’d been lobbying for was part and parcel of colony policy.
(ACAD: Humanist, Original Intent. Braasch, Sarah)

She married in 1835 and moved with her husband to Galveston five years hence.
(ACAD: Journal of American Ethnic History Southern Jewish Women and Their Social Service Organizations. Bauman, Mark)

Perhaps there was even peace to be made in the family, years hence when the old man emerged from prison and therapy.
(FIC: Fantasy & Science Fiction, The movements of her eyes)

Tinfoil Hat
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