Word
von
Phoneticsvon
/ˈvɔn/
Definition
prep. a word used in German names to show that a person's family originally came from a certain place or belonged to the nobility.
prep. a preposition used in German-language surnames to indicate noble lineage or geographical origin. It is typically not capitalized unless it begins a sentence.
Examples
“The famous writer's name was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.”
“In historical documents, the presence of 'von' in a surname often signaled that the individual held land or a title.”
“While many modern families retain the 'von' as a traditional part of their legal surname, it no longer carries the formal legal privileges of the former German aristocracy.”
Examples
simple
“The famous writer's name was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.”
contextual
“In historical documents, the presence of 'von' in a surname often signaled that the individual held land or a title.”
complex
“While many modern families retain the 'von' as a traditional part of their legal surname, it no longer carries the formal legal privileges of the former German aristocracy.”
Usage
Used as a particle within a surname; it is generally not capitalized in the middle of a sentence.
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/von