nachdem German · revision 35045

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=15th century|origins=gem-pro *nēhwa-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /naːxˈdeːm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nachdem''' (conjunction; invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ In the 16th century it was still often written separately, ''nach dem''.^(DWB|13, 34)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a univerbation of [[nach]] and [[dem]], the dative of the demonstrative and article [[m|de|der]], used together as a conjunction.^(DWB|13, 34)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002) The older language used the instrumental instead of the dative: [[goh|nāh diu|t=as, after, accordingly]], [[gmh|nāch diu]] until the 14th century, and Middle Low German had [[m|gml|nā dat]].^(DWB|13, 34)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The first element is [[m|goh|nāh]], [[gem-pro|*nēhwa-|t=near]], the adverb of the adjective [[nah]], with a development from “near to” to “straight after”.^(Kluge 2011|645)^(Pfeifer 1993) It is related to [[got|𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰|tr=nēhwa|t=near]], [[ang|nēah]] and [[en|nigh]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|6, 756)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The joined form ''nachdem'' is Early New High German, recorded from the 15th century, and Luther already uses it to introduce clauses: ''ich wil nu gerne sterben, nach dem ich dein angesicht gesehen hab'' “now let me die, since I have seen thy face” (Genesis 46:30).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|13, 34)^(Paul 2002) Its Old High German forerunner ''nāh diu'' meant “as, after, according to which”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adverb, ''nachdem'' once meant “afterwards, then”, as in Hans Sachs and still in Winckelmann and Jean Paul, but today it is used only as a conjunction.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|13, 34) The temporal sense, stating that the action of the clause was completed before that of the main clause, often has a causal colouring.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB) In the regional sense “since, because” the causal meaning predominates.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) The modal sense “according as” of Luther and Kant survives only in ''je nachdem''.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1050 – Old High German uses ''nāh diu'' “as, after”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|13, 34)

+ * 14th century – Middle High German ''nāch diu'' goes out of use.^(DWB|13, 34)

+ * 15th century – ''nach dem'' is used as a conjunction.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – Luther's Bible uses ''nach dem'' to introduce clauses.^(DWB|13, 34)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – Winckelmann still uses ''nachdem'' as an adverb, “afterwards”.^(DWB|13, 34)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|after]]: introduces a clause whose action took place before that of the main clause: ''Nachdem der Regen aufgehört hatte, gingen wir los.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(regional)'' Since, given that, with a temporal colouring.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In ''je nachdem'': depending on (whether, how).^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[je nachdem]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nach]]

+ * [[nah]]

+ * [[demnach]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}