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daarom

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Etymology and origin of the Dutch word daarom

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 1100, Old Dutch (Egmond Williram)
Ultimate origin
Proto-Germanic *þār,*umbi
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Dutch daar
Dutch daarom

Pronunciation

  • /daː.rˈɔm/[1]

Forms

daarom[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch daeromme, inherited from Old Dutch thār umbi, a compound from Dutch daar + om.[2][3][1] Middle Dutch also wrote ⟨daerombe⟩ and ⟨darumbe⟩.[4][5] The same compound is Old High German dārumbi (modern German darum), Middle Low German darumme and Old Frisian therumbe.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Egmond Williram of about 1100 has thar umbe “for that reason”.[3] In Middle Dutch the Limburg life of Saint Servatius of about 1200 says du si gode drumbe baden, when they prayed to God for it, and a Limburg glossary of about 1240 gives darumbe for Latin ideo “therefore”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the word gave a reason or a purpose, the subject of a thought (“about that”) and even place (“around it”), and it was also used as a relative, “for which reason”.[4] Daerom dat and daerom omdat meant “because”.[5] Since the 16th century it has also meant “not for that reason, nevertheless” in negative clauses (1616), as in hij is daarom nog niet dom.[6][7]

As a bare answer, daarom! refuses to give a reason; this is recorded in 1865, and by 1785 het daarom could be a noun, the unsatisfying reason given.[6] Afrikaans has daarom and darem “after all”, and Negerhollands took daarom.[1][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch thar umbe in the Egmond Williram.[3]
  • c. 1200 – Middle Dutch drumbe in the life of Saint Servatius.[2]
  • c. 1240 – Darumbe glosses Latin ideo.[4][2]
  • 1260 – Daeromme “in return for that” in a charter.[2]
  • 1616 – Daerom niet “nevertheless not”.[6]
  • 1865 – Daarom niet as an answer that withholds a reason.[6]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. therefore, for that reason, that is why: het regende, daarom bleven we binnen.[7][1][9]
  2. (in negative clauses) For all that, nevertheless: hij is rijk, maar daarom nog niet gelukkig.[7][6]

Interjection

  1. Because: a reply that refuses to give a reason: waarom mag ik niet mee? – daarom!.[7][1]
  2. (colloquial) Exactly, that's just it.[1]

Usage notes

Waarom niet? Daarom niet is said to put off a child who keeps asking why.[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 Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  3. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  4. ^ a b c d Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  6. ^ a b c d e Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  9. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
Cite this entry

“Daarom.” Etymologically, 21 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/nl/daarom. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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