omdat

Forms

omdat (subordinating)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ombedat, a shortening of ⟨ombe dat dat⟩ “for that (reason), that”, from the preposition ombe, the word om, and dat, the word dat, first a demonstrative pronoun and then a conjunction.^[2][3][1] Middle High German umbe daz (“so that”) is a parallel.^[2] The WNT compares French parce que and English because, which it also explains as shortened phrases.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Ombe dat dat and ombe dat are recorded from 1236 in Ghent, in the senses “so that” and “because”: in 1257 a text gives as the reason ombe dat arnout de smet hadde en wif, because Arnout the smith had a wife.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

At first Middle Dutch omme dat meant “for that reason, therefore”, as in a text of 1265–1270; that adverbial use became obsolete in Middle Dutch.^[2] Followed by a clause, it meant “because” with the indicative and “so that” with the subjunctive, and the sense “so that” was lost along with the subjunctive.^[2][5] The word was written together from the 13th century, but that became the normal spelling only in modern Dutch; the WNT wrote in 1870 that it had often been written separately until the previous century.^[2][4] Van der Sijs dates the conjunction to 1637 after the WNT.^[6]

The States Bible often strengthens it with a preceding daarom, as in Daerom om dat gy tot uwen knecht overgekomen zijt.^[4] The rule that doordat gives a cause and omdat a reason was imposed artificially around 1860.^[2] Afrikaans has omdat and the Surinamese creole Kwinti borrowed the word.^[1]

Timeline

• 1236 – Ombe dat in Ghent.^[2][3]
• 1257 – Ombe dat “because” in a charter.^[2]
• 1264 – Omdat dat “so that”.^[2]
• 1637 – The conjunction omdat in the WNT's dating.^[6]
• c. 1860 – Omdat and doordat are given separate tasks.^[2]
• 1870 – The WNT notes that writing it as one word has become usual.^[4]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. because, for the reason that: Ik bleef thuis omdat het regende.^[7][1][8]
2. (informal) As a result of, owing to (where the standard has doordat): De weg was dicht omdat er een boom was omgevallen.^[7]

Related words

• om
• dat
• doordat
• opdat
• daarom

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 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
4. ^ a b c d 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
5. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
7. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
8. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org