Literary notes about Nonce (AI summary)
The term "nonce" is frequently used in literature to denote a temporary or ad hoc state, a role adopted merely for the present moment. Writers employ it to emphasize the provisional nature of actions, decisions, or statuses, as when a character temporarily assumes a persona or when a place is designated for immediate use without future permanence ([1], [2], [3]). Its etymological roots trace back to meaning "once" or "one time," reinforcing that sense of brevity ([4]). This layered usage not only marks an interim condition but also subtly signals shifts in power, mood, or circumstance throughout a narrative, such as the fleeting resolve of a character or the momentary suspension of routine ([5], [6], [7]).
- Come, captain, we'll sign a truce for the nonce.
— from Barbara Winslow, Rebel by Beth Ellis - They sheared in the great barn, called for the nonce the Shearing-barn, which on ground-plan resembled a church with transepts.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - So I made up my mind to do as he bid me for the nonce, and then have done with him.
— from The House by the Church-Yard by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - Nonce (1 H. IV. i. 2), or Nones, is simply ones , once , with the paragogic n , and signifying that one time.
— from The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's Plays by Thomas Keightley - Yet such had been his earnestness that for the nonce everything else was driven from my mind.
— from True to Himself; Or, Roger Strong's Struggle for Place by Edward Stratemeyer - For the nonce he forgot what a painful thing it would be to resume his old place, even if it were given him.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - "Tis enough for the nonce," answered Cuchulain.
— from The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge
