indem German · revision 36252

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1438}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɪnˈdeːm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''indem''' (conjunction and adverb, invariable)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|de|in|dem]], the preposition with the dative of the article, written as one word.^(Kluge 2011|442)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|10, 2107) Middle High German already had the phrase ⟨in dem⟩, which corresponds to Old High German [[m|goh|innan thiu]], used to say that one clause encloses the time of another.^(Kluge 2011|442)^(Schützeichel 2012|164) Pfeifer explains that early New High German replaced the genitive phrase [[m|goh|innan thes]], the source of [[indessen]], with the dative ⟨in dem⟩ followed by a clause with [[dass]]; when the conjunction was left out, the fused form became a conjunction itself.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The preposition [[in]] is common Germanic, [[got|𐌹𐌽|tr=in]], [[ang|in]], and with [[grc|ἐν|tr=en]] and [[la|in]] goes back to [[ine-pro|*en]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Paul's first record is from 1438, as an adverb meaning “meanwhile”.^(Paul 2002) The phrase ''in dem, dass'' “in that” is used in the 15th century, for example in the Nuremberg police ordinances.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|10, 2107)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a conjunction ''indem'' was first temporal, “while”, as in Luther; it then took on a causal sense, as in Goethe, and today it is mainly instrumental, “by (doing)”.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|10, 2107) The adverb “meanwhile”, still used by Lessing (''indem tritt sie herein'', “at that moment she comes in”), is now dated.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Until the 17th century the word was often printed separately as ''in dem''.^(DWB|10, 2107)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1438 – First record, as an adverb “meanwhile”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 15th century – The conjunction develops from ''in dem, dass''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses it in the temporal sense “while”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – It is still often printed separately.^(DWB|10, 2107)

+ * Late 18th century – Goethe uses it in a causal sense.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(instrumental)'' By (doing), through the fact that: ''Sie lernte Spanisch, indem sie jeden Abend Radio hörte.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(temporal)'' [[m|en|while]], as: ''Indem sie den Mantel auszog, klingelte das Telefon.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(regional, dated; with dass)'' Because, since.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(dated)'' [[m|en|meanwhile|alt=Meanwhile]], at that moment.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[in]]

+ * [[indessen]]

+ * [[indes]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}