voordat

Forms

voordat (conjunction, invariable)^[1] In older Dutch the conjunction was usually written separately, voor dat.^[2]

Etymology

It is from Dutch voor + dat, a compound of the preposition and the conjunction.^[1][3] It goes back to a phrase with the dative of the demonstrative between them, Middle Dutch vore dien dat “before that, that”, from which the middle word was mostly dropped.^[4][2][5] Franck and Van Wijk compare opdat, and note that plain voor could also mean “before” as a conjunction, as could Middle Low German vor.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch vore dat, written separately, is first recorded in West Brabant in 1265, and in 1276 a Brabant text says that Mary appeared to a woman voer dat si starf “before she died”.^[4] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal did not find the form voordat in Middle Dutch and quotes it from 1524, in a rule that mussels may not be sold by the barrel before the mussel-catcher has kept his share.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The conjunction introduces a clause of time whose action follows that of the main clause.^[4][2] With a negative main clause it says that something may only happen once something else has been done, which Van Dale gives as a separate sense.^[2][7] Nineteenth-century texts strengthen it with nog or zelfs.^[2] Negerhollands borrowed it as voor dat, also in the sense “so that”.^[8][1]

Timeline

• 1265 – Middle Dutch vore dat “before” is first recorded, in West Brabant.^[4]
• 1276 – Voer dat si starf “before she died” appears in a Brabant text.^[4]
• 1524 – The form voerdat is quoted in a rule on the sale of mussels.^[2][6]
• 1875 – Zelfs vóórdat “even before” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Conjunction

1. (subordinating) before: earlier than the time when: Bel even voordat je vertrekt.^[7][1]
2. (subordinating) before, until: saying that something must come first: Je mag niet weg voordat alles is opgeruimd.^[7][2]

Related words

• voor
• dat
• opdat
• alvorens

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
3. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c d e 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 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 c 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)