warum German · revision 35102

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1000, Notker}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /vaˈʁʊm/, /ˈvaː.ʁʊm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''warum''' (interrogative and relative adverb, not inflected)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ The spelling ''warumb'' lasted into the second half of the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|27, 2188) The first vowel long wavered between ''a'' and ''o'' (''worumb'', ''worum''), until Adelung limited ''worum'' to the sense “about what”, which became the rule.^(DWB|27, 2188)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|warumbe]], [[inh|goh|wārumbi]], formed [[af|goh|wār|umbi|t1=where|t2=around, about]]: the adverbs that became [[wo]] and [[um]].^(Kluge 2011|972)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The same compound is [[gml|warumme]], [[dum|waeromme]] and [[ofs|hwerumbe]], now [[nl|waarom]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|27, 2188) Unlike the modern word for “where”, it keeps the old long /aː/ and the final /r/ of the Old High German adverb.^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary calls it a doublet of [[worum]] that kept the older vowel, and notes that the Dutch word has both meanings.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The compound appears only in late Old High German, first in Notker around 1000;^(DWB|27, 2188)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge dates it to the 11th century.^(Kluge 2011|972) Already in Middle High German the Central German sources assimilate it to ''warumme'' and shorten it to ''warumb'', ''warum''.^(DWB|27, 2188)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Warum nicht'' as a concession is recorded from the 15th century, ''warum nicht gar!'' as an expression of firm refusal or surprise from the middle of the 18th century, and the answer ''warum? – darum!'' from the 15th or 16th century; today it serves to refuse a reason.^(Paul 2002) The noun ''das Warum'' “the reason” goes back to Middle High German;^(Paul 2002) Schopenhauer called it the mother of all sciences.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Earlier ''warum'' was also used where ''worum'' is now usual, as in Lessing, and as a relative after a noun, as in Schiller's ''wegen des Geldes, warum ich sie ersuchte''.^(Paul 2002) Kanzlei language of the 16th and 17th centuries had a lengthened form ''warumben'', and in the dialects the vowel was weakened or lost.^(DWB|27, 2188)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1000 – Late Old High German ''wārumbi'' in Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|27, 2188)

+ * Middle High German – The shortened forms ''warumme'', ''warum'' appear in Central German.^(DWB|27, 2188)

+ * 15th century – ''warum nicht'' as a concession.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 15th–16th century – The answer ''warum? – darum!''^(Paul 2002)

+ * Second half of the 17th century – The spelling ''warumb'' gives way to ''warum''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|27, 2188)

+ * Mid-18th century – ''warum nicht gar!''^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(interrogative)'' [[m|en|why]], for what reason, in direct and indirect questions: ''Warum kommst du so spät?'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''Ich verstehe nicht, warum sie gegangen ist.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(relative)'' For which reason: ''Der Grund, warum er absagte, blieb unklar.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(as a noun, das Warum)'' The reason: ''nach dem Warum fragen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wo]]

+ * [[um]]

+ * [[worum]]

+ * [[darum]]

+ * [[weshalb]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Warum nicht gleich so?'' (colloquial) means “why not like that in the first place?”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Adelung held that strictly ''warum'' asks for a purpose and so suits only beings capable of intention, though he admits the rule is seldom kept.^(Adelung 1793|4, 1392)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}