Etymologically
Log in

voor

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 21 October 2026 at 14:26. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • /voːr/, [vʊːr][1]

Forms

voor[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch vore, inherited from Old Dutch fora, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *forē, inherited from Proto-Germanic *furai.[2][1] Two Proto-Germanic forms of much the same meaning have fallen together in it, this one and Proto-Germanic *furi.[2] Regular sound change would have given two modern forms, the second being dialectal veur, and in most dialects one of them disappeared.[2][1] The dialect form is still widespread, but the standard language kept only the first.[2]

The first form is also in Old Saxon fora, Old High German fora (modern German vor), Old Frisian fore, Old English fore (modern English for) and Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 (faura).[2][3] The second is Old Dutch furi, furi, furi (modern für), Old Norse fyrir and 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂 (faur).[2][3][4] German still keeps its two prepositions apart and has given them different meanings.[2]

They are related to Ancient Greek παρά (pará, “beside”) and Ancient Greek παραί (paraí), Sanskrit पुरा (purā́, “formerly”) and, with another ablaut grade, Latin prae (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₂-.[2][5][1] Latin prō fits well in meaning, but is not thought to be related.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Old Dutch the word is first found in place names: Forschate, Voorschoten near Leiden, in 918.[6] Forahura, a lease paid in advance, follows in 945, and the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms have furi quamon furista, “the princes came in front”.[2] Middle Dutch has the preposition from the early 13th century: men lachte uor em dar broet, “bread was laid there before him” (1220–40).[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch already used vore and vor for place (“in front of”), for time (“earlier, before”), for price (XII d. vor koren, “twelve pence for grain”, 1281), for preference (si coren strijt vor vrede, “they chose war over peace”, 1285) and as a conjunction “before” (1284).[2][7] Kiliaan in 1599 gives both voor and veur.[2]

Het voor en tegen, “the pros and cons”, is a loan translation of French le pour et le contre.[8] Dutch passed the preposition to Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch (foro), Javindo and Petjo, and probably to Swedish;[9] Makassarese pôr means a forward in football.[9]

Timeline

  • 918 – The place name Forschate (Voorschoten) is recorded.[6]
  • 945 – Old Dutch forahura “rent paid in advance” is recorded.[2]
  • 901–1000 – Furi and furitekin “omen” appear in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2][10]
  • 1236 – Middle Dutch uor alle de brodre, “before all the brothers”, is recorded.[2][7]
  • 1284 – Vor is used as a conjunction, “before”.[2]
  • 1599 – Kiliaan lists voor and veur.[2]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. In front of: de auto staat voor het huis, “the car is in front of the house”.[11][1]
  2. In the presence of.[11]
  3. before, earlier than: voor zonsopgang, “before sunrise”.[11][1]
  4. for, for the benefit of: een cadeau voor mijn moeder, “a present for my mother”.[11][1]
  5. In favour of: voor het plan stemmen, “to vote for the plan”.[1][12]
  6. For, in exchange for, at a price of.[11][12]
  7. For, as regards; for a period of time.[11]

Adverb

  1. At the front, ahead; in favour.[11]

Conjunction

  1. (informal) Before; voordat.[11][1]

Noun

  1. A pro, an argument in favour, as in het voor en tegen.[1][8]

Word family

  • voordat
  • vooral
  • voorbeeld
  • voordeel
  • voorhoede
  • voorjaar
  • voorkeur
  • voorbarig
  • vooraf
  • vooraan
  • voort
  • vorig
  • vorst
  • ver-
  • English for
  • German vor
  • German für

Usage notes

Voor (also vore), “furrow”, is a separate word: Middle Dutch vore, recorded about 1240, from Proto-Germanic *furh-, related to English furrow, German Furche and Latin porca (“ridge between furrows”).[13][14][4][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b 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. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
  9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  13. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 418
  14. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill