nachdem

Forms

nachdem (conjunction; invariable)^[1] In the 16th century it was still often written separately, nach dem.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is a univerbation of nach and dem, the dative of the demonstrative and article der, used together as a conjunction.^[2][3][1][4] The older language used the instrumental instead of the dative: Old High German nāh diu (“as, after, accordingly”), Middle High German nāch diu until the 14th century, and Middle Low German had nā dat.^[2][3]

The first element is nāh, Proto-Germanic *nēhwa- (“near”), the adverb of the adjective nah, with a development from “near to” to “straight after”.^[5][3] It is related to Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (nēhwa, “near”), Old English nēah and English nigh.^[3][6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The joined form nachdem is Early New High German, recorded from the 15th century, and Luther already uses it to introduce clauses: ich wil nu gerne sterben, nach dem ich dein angesicht gesehen hab “now let me die, since I have seen thy face” (Genesis 46:30).^[3][2][4] Its Old High German forerunner nāh diu meant “as, after, according to which”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

As an adverb, nachdem once meant “afterwards, then”, as in Hans Sachs and still in Winckelmann and Jean Paul, but today it is used only as a conjunction.^[4][2] The temporal sense, stating that the action of the clause was completed before that of the main clause, often has a causal colouring.^[4][8] In the regional sense “since, because” the causal meaning predominates.^[9][1] The modal sense “according as” of Luther and Kant survives only in je nachdem.^[4][8]

Timeline

• Before 1050 – Old High German uses nāh diu “as, after”.^[3][2]
• 14th century – Middle High German nāch diu goes out of use.^[2]
• 15th century – nach dem is used as a conjunction.^[3]
• 16th century – Luther's Bible uses nach dem to introduce clauses.^[2][4]
• 18th century – Winckelmann still uses nachdem as an adverb, “afterwards”.^[2][4]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. after: introduces a clause whose action took place before that of the main clause: Nachdem der Regen aufgehört hatte, gingen wir los.^[9][1]
2. (regional) Since, given that, with a temporal colouring.^[9][1]
3. In je nachdem: depending on (whether, how).^[4][1]

Word family

• je nachdem

Related words

• nach
• nah
• demnach

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 Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 13, 34
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
5. ^ Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 645
6. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. 6, 756
8. ^ a b Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
9. ^ a b c Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag