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waarom

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Etymology and origin of the Dutch word waarom

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1240, Middle Dutch (Limburg)
From
Middle Dutch waeromme

Pronunciation

  • /ʋaːˈrɔm/, /ˈʋaːrɔm/[1]

Forms

waarom[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch waeromme, a compound of the interrogative and relative ⟨waer⟩ “where” (waar3) and the preposition ⟨ombe⟩ (om); in Middle Dutch it was written both separately and together.[2][3][1] The same formation is Middle Low German ⟨warumme⟩ and Middle High German ⟨warumbe⟩, modern German warum.[4][1] As with daarom, ⟨waar⟩ stands for a case of the pronoun wat, so that the meaning is “for what”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is in the Limburg glossary of Bern of 1240, where warumbe translates Latin quare and cur “why”.[2] In a West Brabant text of 1265 it introduces a clause of reason: Mar wonder heuet mi uan desen Warumme si so gerne lesen, “but I wonder why they so like to read”.[2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used waeromme in questions and as a relative adverb, often followed by a meaningless dat, as in a Damme document of 1280.[2] It was also a noun: “reason, cause”, as in de waeromme dat hijt dede “the reason why he did it” (1380), and “purpose, intention”, as in sonder waeromme minnen “to love without ulterior motive” (1351).[4]

The WNT's records begin around 1500;[3] om geen waarom “for no reason at all” is recorded in 1569, and zijn waarom hebben meant to have one's reasons, not to happen without self-interest.[3] The noun is now neuter; masculine and feminine use is dated except in dialect.[3] Some 19th-century dictionaries classed the relative use as a conjunction, a choice the WNT calls merely terminological.[3] Negerhollands had waerom beside watmaak, and Jersey Dutch had wāāirom.[5][1]

Timeline

  • 1240 – Warumbe glosses Latin quare in Limburg.[2]
  • 1265 – Warumme introduces a clause of reason.[2]
  • 1280 – Waromme dat is recorded in Damme.[2]
  • 1351 – The noun means “ulterior motive”.[4]
  • 1380 – The noun means “reason”.[4]
  • 1569 – Om geen waarom “for no reason” is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. why, for what reason or purpose: Waarom ben je zo laat?[6][1][7]
  2. (relative) For which reason: Dat is de reden waarom ik bleef.[3][1]

Noun

  1. (het waarom) The reason, the cause: Niemand kende het waarom van zijn vertrek.[6][8]

Usage notes

The stress usually falls on om, but the first syllable can also be stressed.[1] On questionnaires zo ja, waarom, zo nee, waarom niet is a set formula.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 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
  4. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  6. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  7. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  8. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
Cite this entry

“Waarom.” Etymologically, 21 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/nl/waarom. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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