hieraan

Hieraan is a Dutch demonstrative prepositional pronoun formed from hier (here) and aan (to). It functions as a deictic anchor in discourse, pointing to a specific idea, object, or proposition that has been mentioned or is assumed in the conversation or text.

Usage: It is commonly found in formal and semi-formal Dutch, including journalism, academic writing, speeches, and policy documents. It introduces or references an inference, conclusion, or requirement linked to the aforementioned element. It can appear at the beginning of a clause or after a finite verb, as in Hieraan kunnen we afleiden dat de cijfers stijgen, of we moeten hieraan denken bij het opstellen van beleid.

Etymology and relation: It belongs to a family of deictic forms built from hier or daar combined with prepositions such as aan, op, in, or naast. Hieraan is typically used when referring to a single idea or object that has already been established in the discourse, rather than to a general notion.

See also: hierin, hierop, daaraan, daarop.