bevor German · revision 35524

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=late 8th century, Old High German Isidor}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈfoːr/, [bəˈfoːɐ̯], [-ˈfɔɐ̯]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bevor'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bevor]], [[inh|goh|bifora|t=before, earlier]],^(Kluge 2011|118)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) an adverb run together from [[m|goh|bī|t=by, at]] and [[m|goh|fora|t=before, earlier]], that is [[bei]] and [[vor]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|145) Wiktionary reconstructs [[gmw-pro|*bifuranē]].^(Wiktionary) The same adverb is [[osx|biforan]], [[ang|beforan]] (now [[en|before]]), [[gml|bevoren]] and [[ofs|bifara]].^(Kluge 2011|118)^(EWA|2, 28)^(DWB|1, 1757) The Grimms considered forms with ⟨n⟩ such as [[m|gmh|bevorn]], found in poets close to Low German, more original than the High German form.^(DWB|1, 1757)^(Lexer 1872|1, 251)^(DWB|1, 1757)

+

+ The conjunction arose in Early New High German.^(Kluge 2011|118) In sentences where the adverb was picked up by the conjunction [[ehe]], it passed into the dependent clause, at first often in the formula “ehe und bevor”, and finally displaced the older conjunction there.^(Kluge 2011|118)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|145)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bifora'' is first recorded in the Isidor (late 8th century), then in the Tatian (about 800–810), Otfrid and Notker, meaning “before, earlier”;^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|109)^(DWB2|5, 56) ''bifora meinen'' meant “to foreshadow”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|109)^(DWB2|5, 56)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adverb of place, “in front, ahead”, it survives in [[bevorstehen]], originally “to stand before someone” and so “to be imminent”.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) As an adverb of time it meant “before, formerly” in Middle High German and until the 18th century, partly as an archaism (Klinger, Voß, Wieland).^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|5, 56) Medieval letters and later chancery style opened with formulas such as ''unsern dienst bevor'' “our service first”.^(DWB|1, 1757) The use for rank, ''es einem bevor tun'' “to outdo someone” (Leibniz), is obsolete.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ As a conjunction it is found from the 16th century, at first often as ''ehe und bevor'', and in the 17th century one still wrote ''ehe und bevor ihr fahren werdet''.^(DWB2|5, 56)^(Duden 7 2020|145) Adelung in 1793 still called it an Upper German word, used in High German only in elevated or poetic style.^(Adelung 1793|1, 961)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''bifora'' in the Isidor.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 800–810 – ''senu bifora sagata her iz íu'' “lo, he told it to you before” in the Tatian.^(DWB2|5, 56)

+ * 1286 – ''einin mant bevor'' “a month before” in a charter.^(DWB2|5, 56)

+ * 16th century – First use as a conjunction, often in ''ehe und bevor''.^(DWB2|5, 56)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – Last regular use as an adverb of time.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1793 – Adelung calls it Upper German and poetic.^(Adelung 1793|1, 961)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # [[m|en|before]]: introduces something that happens later than the main clause: ''Bevor du gehst, mach bitte das Licht aus.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With a negative, after a negative main clause: until, as long as … not: ''Bevor du nicht aufgeräumt hast, darfst du nicht spielen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bevorstehen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ehe]]

+ * [[vor]]

+ * [[bei]]

+ * [[zuvor]]

+ * [[en|before]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In the negative construction ''bevor … nicht'' the clause has a conditional sense and depends on a main clause that is negative too.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}