Consider
- in the same year or
- in the same sense,
both of which contain the article. Suppose also, that the context needs dative. I want to use a x
-selbe word to express this in German.
Question: where to put the article?
(a) The article is absorbed by the x
-selbe word, being this demselben
(b) The article is contracted with the prepostion in
(c) The article is contracted with the preposition, and x
=dem just because it should be dative
1a. In demselben Jahr or 1b. Im denselben Jahr or 1c. Im demselben Jahr
2a. In demselben Sinn(e) or 2b. Im denselben Sinn(e) or 2c. Im demselben Sinn(e)
I mean, following the rules it should be (c). But then it seems funny
Im dem...
like, even though dem- just refers to the declension in the table, I've not aware of having seen two -m endings together.