davon

Forms

davon (adverb; stressed on the second syllable, on the first for emphasis)^[2] The form with r, darvon, competed with davon from the 14th to the 17th century and was almost as frequent in the 16th; since about 1800 only davon is used.^[3] Luther wrote davon, while Maaler had darvon.^[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German dāvon, formed from Middle High German dā (“there”) + von (“from”).^[3][1][2] The same compound is Middle Low German dārvan, Middle Dutch daervan, Dutch daarvan and Old Frisian therfon.^[3] It has no counterpart in Gothic, English or the Scandinavian languages, which lack the preposition von.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is recorded from the beginning of Middle High German writing in the 12th century, mostly in the form without r.^[3] It referred to the starting point from which something comes or is measured, and already in Middle High German it was partitive, “of it”, with verbs of drinking and buying.^[3][5]

Semantic evolution

Paul notes that the adverb expresses both spatial and abstract relations and often stands for a prepositional phrase, with verbs of speaking, hearing and knowing.^[5] The phrase auf und davon “up and away” dates from the 15th century.^[5] Combinations with verbs began in Middle High German with davonkommen “to escape”, and Early New High German added davonjagen, davonlaufen, davonmachen and davontragen;^[5] Luther has davontrollen.^[5] The title of the German version of Thornton Wilder's play The Skin of Our Teeth, Wir sind noch einmal davongekommen, uses the oldest of them.^[5]

The Grimms describe it as the opposite of dazu, following all the senses of the preposition.^[4] In northern Germany the parts are often separated, with da at the head of the clause and von at its end.^[2]

Timeline

• 12th century – dāvon appears in Middle High German.^[3]
• 15th century – auf und davon is recorded.^[5]
• 16th century – darvon is almost as frequent as davon.^[3]
• c. 1800 – Only davon remains in use.^[3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Away from it, at a distance from that place: Der Hof liegt nicht weit davon.^[2]
2. Off it, from it as a starting point: Von der Straße zweigt davon ein Weg ab.^[2][1]
3. About it, concerning it: Davon habe ich nichts gewusst.^[2][6]
4. Because of it, by that means: Das kommt davon!, that is the result.^[2][6]
5. Of it, of them, as a part: Nimm dir davon, so viel du willst.^[2][6]
6. From it, out of that material or means: Davon können sie kaum leben.^[2][6]

Word family

• davonkommen
• davonlaufen
• davontragen
• davonmachen

Related words

• da
• von
• dazu
• Dutch daarvan

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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, 419
4. ^ a b c Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 2, 858
5. ^ a b c d e f g Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
6. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org