denn German · revision 34902

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German|origins=ine-pro *to-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /dɛn/, [dɛn]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Modal, particle: /dən/, /dn̩/, /n/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''denn''' (conjunction; also adverb and modal particle)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|denne]], [[inh|goh|denne]], the umlauted variant of [[m|goh|danne]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*þan]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|6, 668)^(Wiktionary) Until the 18th century it did not differ in function from [[dann]], so Kluge treats it as a word of its own only from then on.^(Kluge 2011|190)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Umlauted forms also occur elsewhere in West Germanic, as in [[gml|denne]], [[ofs|thenne]] and [[ang|þænne]], while [[osx|thanna]], [[dum|danne]], [[non|þá]] and [[got|𐌸𐌰𐌽|tr=þan]] have none.^(Pfeifer 1993) The English counterparts are [[m|en|then]] and [[m|en|than]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Kluge and Pfeifer derive the Germanic adverb from the demonstrative stem [[ine-pro|*to-]] of [[m|de|der]] and [[da]], with a suffix in /n/ that marked time, extended in West Germanic by a further nasal.^(Kluge 2011|181)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|6, 668) Wiktionary calls this origin disputed and also mentions a derivation from the accusative [[ine-pro|*tóm]], the source of [[la|tum|t=then]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest uses of the particle are as a comparative particle “than” and as a temporal conjunction and adverb.^(Kluge 2011|181) Old High German ''thanne'' and ''thenni'' are recorded from the 8th century,^(Pfeifer 1993) and ''denne'' renders Latin ''tunc deinceps'' “then, thereafter” in the 9th-century ''Carmen ad Deum''.^(DWB2|6, 668)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the older language ''denn'' and ''dann'' were used side by side for the same temporal, causal and comparative senses.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|2, 945) Luther, who never wrote ''dann'', used ''denn'' constantly for Latin ''nam'' and ''enim'' “for”.^(DWB|2, 945) The division of labour fixed in the second half of the 18th century gave ''dann'' the adverb of time and left ''denn'' the causal conjunction, the comparative use after a comparative (now formal, as in ''mehr denn je'') and the exception in ''es sei denn''.^(DWB2|6, 668)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Wiktionary notes that grammarians prescribed the split.^(Wiktionary) English separated ''than'' and ''then'' in the same century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ As an adverb ''denn'' now mostly gives emphasis to questions and statements.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The old temporal sense “then” survives in the colloquial speech of northern and Central Germany, as in ''na, denn nicht'' “well, never mind then”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB2|6, 668)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''thanne'', ''thenni'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 9th century – ''denne'' “then” appears in the ''Carmen ad Deum''.^(DWB2|6, 668)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses ''denn'' for “for” and never writes ''dann''.^(DWB|2, 945)

+ * Mid-18th century – ''denn'' and ''dann'' are clearly separated in the written language.^(DWB2|6, 668)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|for]], [[m|en|because]], introducing a main clause that gives a reason: ''Wir gingen früh, denn es wurde kalt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(after a comparative; formal or dated)'' [[m|en|than]], used especially to avoid a doubled ''als'': ''eher Forscher denn Lehrer''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(rare; mainly in'' es sei denn'')'' [[m|en|unless]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(northern Germany, colloquial)'' [[m|en|then]], in that case.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Particle===

+ # ''(unstressed, in questions)'' Expresses interest, impatience or doubt: ''Wo bleibt sie denn?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(unstressed, in statements)'' Reinforces a conclusion: so, then.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(stressed, after an interrogative)'' Else, otherwise: ''Nicht im Keller? Wo denn?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dennoch]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dann]]

+ * [[wann]]

+ * [[en|then]]

+ * [[en|than]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases are ''es sei denn'' “unless”, ''mehr denn je'' “more than ever” and ''wenn schon, denn schon'' “if you're going to do it, do it properly”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}