Etymologically
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außerdem

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Pronunciation

  • [ˈaʊ̯sɐdeːm], [aʊ̯sɐˈdeːm][1]

Forms

außerdem[1]

Etymology

It is a fusion of außer with dem, the dative of the article and pronoun.[1][2] Campe, in 1807, still preferred writing it separately.[3] The preposition is Middle High German ūzer, Old High German ūzar, Proto-Germanic *ūtar-, from the root of aus, Proto-Indo-European *ud- (“out”).[4] Wiktionary compares Latin praeterea (“besides”).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Paul cites the word from the 18th century, in the sense “apart from that”.[2]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century außerdem daß was used like a conjunction, “besides the fact that”, by Goethe and Schiller.[2] In a letter to Schiller of 1796 Goethe used außerdem where one would now say außerhalb.[2] Today it is a sentence adverb meaning “in addition, moreover”.[5][1]

Timeline

  • 18th century – außerdem daß is used as a conjunction.[2]
  • 1796 – Goethe uses außerdem for “outside it” in a letter to Schiller.[2]
  • 1807 – Campe recommends writing außer dem.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. Besides, in addition, moreover: das Hotel war teuer und außerdem laut.[5][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
  3. ^ a b Campe, Joachim Heinrich (1807–1811), Wörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache, 5 vols., Braunschweig: Schulbuchhandlung
  4. ^ Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 76
  5. ^ a b Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag