vor German · revision 35402

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /foːr/, [foːɐ̯], [fɔɐ̯]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vor''' (preposition with dative or accusative; adverb)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ It contracts with the article to ''vorm'' (''vor dem'') and ''vors'' (''vor das'').^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|vor]] (also [[m|gmh|vore]]), [[inh|goh|fora]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*forē]], [[inh|gem-pro|*fur-|t=before]], a form that appears with various endings.^(Kluge 2011|963)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰|tr=faura]], [[non|for-]], [[ang|fore]], [[ofs|fora]] and [[osx|for]], and it survives in [[nl|voor]] and [[en|for]].^(Kluge 2011|963)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(AWB|3, 1132)

+

+ Outside Germanic, Pfeifer compares [[grc|πάρα|tr=pára]], [[m|grc|παρά|tr=pará]] “beside, along, from”, and traces the group to [[ine-pro|*pərā̌]], which belongs to the root [[ine-pro|*per|t=leading beyond]].^(Pfeifer 1993) Duden and Wahrig likewise derive it from the root [[m|ine-pro|*per-|t=over, beyond]].^(Duden 7 2020|912)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kluge gives the original sense as “going beyond, in front of”, from the same base as [[fern]], [[fort]], [[Fürst]], [[ver-]] and [[vorder]].^(Kluge 2011|963)

+

+ Beside it stood [[goh|furi]], the source of [[für]]; both had the same local sense and differed mainly in the case they governed, the former taking the dative for position and the latter the accusative for direction.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''fora'' is recorded from the 8th century, first in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|963)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) The Isidor translation, the ''Muspilli'', the Monsee fragments, the Murbach hymns, Otfrid, Tatian and Notker use it as a preposition meaning “before, in front of”, “because of”, “for”, “instead of”, and as an adverb “earlier, in front”.^(Schützeichel 2012|109)^(Köbler AHD) Notker also has it as a noun, “the front” as opposed to “the back”.^(AWB|3, 1147)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a preposition ''vor'' first expressed a spatial relation, originally only with the dative for position “at the front of”;^(Pfeifer 1993) New High German added the accusative for movement towards that side.^(Pfeifer 1993) Temporal, causal and other uses developed from it; the causal sense, as in ''vor Schreck'' “for fright”, had already branched off in Old High German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|912)

+

+ In Low German and much of Central German ''vor'' and ''für'' merged in the form ''vor'', and writers then used each for the other: Luther often wrote ''für'' for ''vor'', and Schiller still wavered.^(Paul 2002) From the 18th century grammarians imposed a new division, by which ''vor'' took over the old local and temporal senses and ''für'' kept the more abstract ones.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The adverb was largely displaced by [[davor]], [[hervor]], [[voran]], [[voraus]], [[vorher]] and above all [[vorn]]; it survives in ''nach wie vor'' “still, as before” and in separable verbs, from which commands like ''Freiwillige vor!'' “volunteers, step forward!” are shortened.^(Duden 7 2020|912)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''fora'' is first recorded.^(Kluge 2011|963)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – The adverb [[vorab]] and the adjective [[vorig]] appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – [[voran]] and [[vorüber]] appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – [[vorbei]] appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – Grammarians settle the division between ''vor'' and ''für''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(with dative)'' In [[m|en|front]] of, on the side facing the viewer: ''vor dem Haus'' “in front of the house”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' To the front of: ''sich vor den Spiegel stellen'' “to stand in front of the mirror”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(with dative, of time)'' [[m|en|before]], earlier than: ''vor Weihnachten'' “before Christmas”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with dative, of time)'' [[m|en|ago]]: ''vor Jahren'' “years ago”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with dative)'' From, against, of a danger or threat.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with dative)'' Out of, for, giving a cause: ''vor Schreck'' “for fright”.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2020|912)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Forward, to the front, mostly in commands and set phrases: ''nach wie vor'' “still, as before”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|912)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vorm]]

+ * [[vors]]

+ * [[voran]]

+ * [[voraus]]

+ * [[vorauf]]

+ * [[vorher]]

+ * [[vorhin]]

+ * [[vorab]]

+ * [[vorerst]]

+ * [[vorüber]]

+ * [[vorbei]]

+ * [[vorig]]

+ * [[vorder]]

+ * [[vorn]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[für]]

+ * [[fern]]

+ * [[fort]]

+ * [[Fürst]]

+ * [[ver-]]

+ * [[en|fore]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}