zudem

Forms

zudem^[1]

Etymology

It is a univerbation of the phrase zu dem “to that”, the preposition with the dative of the article or demonstrative.^[1][2][3] The Grimms' dictionary compares the parallel außerdem.^[3] In the 16th century the adverb was already fixed, and Frisius's dictionary used it to translate Latin ad haec (“besides”) and immo (“rather, indeed”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 16th century zudem was used by Frisius, Wickram, Fischart and Ringwaldt, and a variant zudem dass “besides the fact that”, closest to the original phrase, was used only in the south-west.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The Grimms' dictionary describes it as a conjunction linking clauses, followed by inversion of the verb, as in Goethe's zudem schienen seine ökonomischen umstände nicht die besten “moreover, his finances did not seem the best”.^[3] It also linked single parts of a sentence, and together with weil or dieweil it took on a causal sense.^[3]

In the late 18th century Heynatz thought it obsolete, and Adelung left it out, naming only außerdem and überdies.^[3] Today it is a formal adverb meaning “moreover”.^[4][1]

Timeline

• 16th century – Frisius's dictionary uses zudem for Latin ad haec.^[3]
• 1793 – Adelung's dictionary has no entry for it.^[3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. (formal) moreover, furthermore, besides: Die Wohnung war teuer und zudem sehr laut.^[4][1]

Related words

• außerdem
• überdies

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org
3. ^ 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. 32, 320
4. ^ a b Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag