wann

German

Etymology

From Middle High German wanne, Old High German wanne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannā, *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan. Cognate with English when.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /van/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -an

Adverb

wann

1. (interrogative, standard) when

   Wann kommt er?

   When will he arrive?

   Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt.

   I don’t know when he’ll arrive.

2. (indefinite, colloquial) sometime

   Synonym: irgendwann

   Das sollten wir mal wann besprechen, wenn alle da sind.

   We should discuss this sometime that everybody’s present.

Derived terms

• dann und wann
• wann anders

Conjunction

wann

1. (archaic or dialectal) when; if

Derived terms

• wann immer (“whenever”) (standard)

See also

• wenn

Further reading

• “wann” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “wann” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “wann”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German wan, from Old Saxon hwan (“when”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“when”).

Related to wannehr and wenn, Dutch wanneer and wen, High German wann and wenn, English when.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋɑn/, /ʋan/
• IPA^(key): /wanː/ (conservative Eastalbian)

Conjunction

wann

1. when (wannehr is sometimes used with this meaning as well)

   Ik weet nich, wann he kamen deit.

   I don't know when he'll come.

Luxembourgish

Alternative forms

• wa (before non-alveolar consonants)

Etymology

From Middle High German wan, wanne, from Old High German wanne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɑn/
• Rhymes: -ɑn
• Homophone: Wann

Conjunction

wann

1. if
   • Luxembourgish translation of Matthew 4:6:

     Hie sot zu him: "Wann s du dem Herrgott säi Jong bass, da gehei dech hei erof! Et steet nämlech geschriwwen: Wéinst denger gëtt hien sengen Engelen den Uerder, an si droen dech op den Hänn, fir datt s du dir de Fouss net un engem Stee stéiss."

     He said to him: "If you are the Son of God, then throw yourself down! For it is written: He will give his angels charge concerning you, and they will bear you in their hands, so that you do not strike your foot on a stone."

2. when
3. as soon as, when

Synonyms

• (if): falls
• (as soon as): esoubal

Related terms

• wéini

Old English

Alternative forms

• wan, wonn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɔnn/,

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *wann (“dark”), of uncertain origin, possibly related to Proto-Germanic *wanōną (“to lessen”). Cognate with Old Frisian wann, wonn (“dark”).

Adjective

wann

1. dark
   • Beowulf, ll. 702-3:

     Com on wanre niht / scriðan sceadugenga.

     The shadow-walker came slithering from the dark night.

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: wan, wane, wanne, won, wonne, wone
  • English: wan
  • Scots: wan

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

wann

1. first/third-person singular past indicative of winnan

References

Pennsylvania German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German and Old High German wanne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan. Compare German wann, English when.

Adverb

wann

1. (interrogatory) when
2. (relative) when

Etymology 2

Compare German wenn.

Conjunction

wann

1. when
2. if