Bericht

Forms

Bericht m (genitive Berichtes or Berichts, plural Berichte)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German beriht (“instruction, settlement, report”), a back-formation from the verb berichten, berihten, Old High German birihten (“to set right, improve”).^[2][3][1] The verb is formed with the prefix be- from richten, rihten, which belongs with recht.^[2][3] The noun corresponds to Middle Low German bericht (“report, teaching”) and Dutch bericht (“message, notice”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first recorded in Notker, about 1000, meaning “to straighten, put in order, improve”.^[4][3] The Middle High German noun beriht, found from the end of the 13th century in the Passional, meant instruction, the settlement of a dispute, reconciliation, confirmation, and the equipment of an estate.^[5][3]

Semantic evolution

Kluge traces the sense development through the verb: first “to make right”, then “to put in order”, then, figuratively, “to instruct” (compare unterrichten), and finally the weaker “to tell, report”.^[2] The sense “to correct” lasted into the 18th century, when berichtigen took it over.^[3]

The Early New High German noun meant news or information, binding teaching or instruction, an agreement or court settlement, and the equipment of a farm.^[6] Luther has gewissen bericht “certain knowledge” in Daniel, and Opitz a Bericht von wahrer Weisheit, a teaching.^[7][8] Adelung restricted it to a dutiful account given to a superior, noting that the senses “contract” and “understanding” were obsolete.^[8] The word Berichterstatter “reporter” appears in the early 19th century.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1000 – Notker uses Old High German birihten “to set right”.^[4]
• Late 13th century – Middle High German beriht in the Passional.^[5]
• 16th century – Luther's Bible uses bericht for knowledge and information.^[7]
• 18th century – The verb berichten loses the sense “to correct” to berichtigen.^[3]
• 1793 – Adelung defines Bericht as an account given to a superior.^[8]
• Early 19th century – Berichterstatter “reporter” is formed.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A report, account: a factual description of an event or situation, spoken or written: Sie schrieb einen Bericht über die Exkursion.^[9][1]
2. A news report in the press or on radio or television.^[9][10]

Word family

• Berichterstatter
• Jahresbericht

Related words

• berichten
• berichtigen
• richten
• recht
• unterrichten

Usage notes

Bericht erstatten is the formal phrase for “to report”, and Bericht geben is older.^[9][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 111
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
6. ^ Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
7. ^ a b c Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 1, 1521
8. ^ a b c Adelung, Johann Christoph (1793–1801), Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart, 2nd ed., 4 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf
9. ^ a b c Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
10. ^ Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org