damit

Forms

damit (adverb and conjunction, invariable)^[1] From the 12th century Middle High German has dâmit;^[2] darmit was frequent from the late 15th to the 17th century, and since the middle of the 18th century damit alone has been used.^[2] Luther wrote it as da mit.^[3] As an adverb it is stressed damít, with emphasis dámit; the conjunction is always damít.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German dāmit, inherited from Old High German dārmit (“with it; besides; therefore”), formed from German da + mit, from the local adverb and the preposition.^[2][4][1] The same compound is Old Saxon thar mid, Old Frisian thermithi and Old English þǣr-mid, and today Dutch daarmede, Swedish därmed and English theremid.^[2][1]

The conjunction “so that” arose in the 14th century.^[4] Paul explains it as a reinterpretation of the relative adverb “with which”, helped by the combination with final dass, modelled on Latin ut: until the 16th century it was often followed by that conjunction as well.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old High German dārmit is first found in Otfrid (863–871), and then in Notker and Williram, meaning “with it, besides, at the same time; therefore”, and also relatively “with which”.^[5][6] Notker (before 1022) says of the accident in logic that it is what is tarmite (“with it”) the substance.^[2]

Semantic evolution

From Old High German to the 18th century the adverb also meant “along with it, in addition”: in 1522 a man who buys a horse kaufft … den zaum damit (“buys the bridle with it”).^[2][4] As a pronominal adverb it refers to something already mentioned; since Middle High German it can also point ahead to a clause with dass.^[4] As a linking adverb it took senses of time (“at that moment, thereupon”), manner (“in this way”) and result (“consequently”).^[4]

The relative use “with which” lasted into the 20th century;^[4] Wilhelm Grimm defended it against Adelung.^[4] The final conjunction is recorded from the 14th century; until the 18th it was mostly followed by the subjunctive, perhaps under Latin influence, though the indicative also appears from the 14th century.^[4] Since the 18th century speakers in northern Germany have split it colloquially into da … mit.^[2]

Timeline

• 863–871 – Otfrid uses Old High German dārmit.^[5]
• Before 1022 – Notker uses tarmite “with it”.^[2]
• 12th century – Middle High German dâmit becomes the usual form.^[2]
• 14th century – First record as a final conjunction “so that”.^[4]
• Late 15th–17th century – darmit is frequent beside damit.^[2]
• Mid-18th century – damit is the only form.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With it, with that; by means of it: Was willst du denn damit?^[7][1]
2. Having it with one: Sie nahm den Brief und ging damit zum Briefkasten.^[7]
3. At the same time as this, or just after it: Er dankte allen und schloss damit die Sitzung.^[7]
4. therefore, consequently, thus: Sie hat gewonnen und ist damit im Finale.^[7][1]
5. (northern Germany) Split into two parts in certain uses: Da hatte keiner mit gerechnet.^[7]

Conjunction

1. so that, in order that: Sprich lauter, damit alle dich verstehen.^[7][1]

Related words

• da
• mit
• womit
• dass

Usage notes

In colloquial commands the adverb follows another adverb: her damit! “give it here!”, weg damit! “away with it!”, heraus damit! “out with it!”.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm, Neubearbeitung (1965–2018), ed. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, 9 vols. (A–F), Leipzig / Stuttgart: Hirzel, p. 6, 138
3. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 2, 704
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
6. ^ Schützeichel, Rudolf (2012), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 7th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 69
7. ^ a b c d e f g Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag