Gelegenheit

Forms

Gelegenheit f (genitive Gelegenheit, plural Gelegenheiten)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German gelegenheit (“situation, the way something lies”), an abstract noun formed from German gelegen + -heit.^[2][1][3] The adjective gelegen is properly the past participle of liegen and meant “lying alongside, fitting”;^[2] Old High German gilegan (“adjacent, neighbouring”) is recorded from the 9th century, and out of “near, neighbouring” grew the sense “convenient, suitable” developed.^[4][5] Old High German also had the simpler noun gileginī.^[6]

The same formation is Middle Low German gelegenicheit and Dutch gelegenheid.^[6] The modern sense “opportunity” corresponds to Latin occāsiō and French occasion.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle High German gelegenheit (13th century) meant the way something lies: position, the state of things, and also the adjoining land.^[2][4][5] In Gottfried's Tristan the lovers lie apart in fremeder gelegenheit, in a position as if they were strangers.^[6]

Semantic evolution

Early New High German used it of the position and nature of a landscape, a mountain or a building, of the state of affairs or circumstances in which someone or something is found, and finally of a chance or favourable moment.^[7][4] The last sense arose under the influence of the adjective gelegen “convenient”, and Kluge notes that the meaning “possibility” is the later one.^[4][2] The derivative gelegentlich, Middle High German gelegenlich “convenient”, became fixed on the temporal sense “occasionally”, and more recently is also a preposition, “on the occasion of”.^[2][4]

The proverb Gelegenheit macht Diebe “opportunity makes thieves” warns that a good chance tempts people to do wrong, and die Gelegenheit beim Schopf fassen “to seize the opportunity by the forelock” goes back to the image of Kairos, the god of the favourable moment, with a lock in front and a bald back of the head.^[8] Swedish lägenhet is listed among German loanwords.^[9]

Timeline

• 9th century – Old High German gilegan “adjacent”.^[4]
• 13th century – Middle High German gelegenheit “position, state of things”.^[2]
• c. 1210 – Gottfried's Tristan uses it of the way the lovers lie.^[6]
• Early New High German – The senses “circumstances” and then “chance, opportunity”.^[7][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. An opportunity, a favourable moment or circumstances for doing something: bei der nächsten Gelegenheit (“at the first opportunity”); bei Gelegenheit (“some time, when convenient”).^[8][1]
2. An occasion: ein Kleid für besondere Gelegenheiten.^[8]
3. (advertising) A bargain, an especially favourable offer.^[8]
4. (euphemistic) A toilet.^[8]
5. (sport, jargon) A scoring chance, short for Torgelegenheit.^[8]
6. A facility, place for doing something, in compounds such as Sitzgelegenheit.^[1]

Word family

• gelegentlich
• Gelegenheitsarbeit
• Gelegenheitsarbeiter
• Mitfahrgelegenheit
• Sitzgelegenheit
• Torgelegenheit
• Ungelegenheit

Related words

• Angelegenheit
• gelegen
• liegen

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 343
3. ^ Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
6. ^ a b c d Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 5, 2938
7. ^ a b Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
8. ^ a b c d e f Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
9. ^ Lehnwortportal Deutsch (2012–), Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, Mannheim, lwp.ids-mannheim.de