Internet

Forms

Internet n (genitive Internets or Internet, no plural)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English internet, recorded in German from the second half of the 20th century.^[2][1][3] The sources explain the English word differently.^[4][5] Duden and the Duden dictionary analyse it as a formation from inter- (“between”) and network, “a group of interconnected networks”, and Wiktionary DE as a short form of internetwork.^[2][4][3] Wahrig and the Duden dictionary of foreign words call it a short form of “international network”.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word quickly formed compounds such as Internetadresse and Internetnutzer (also Internetuser); Duden notes that the feminine forms of the latter are hardly used, probably because the word usually refers to groups.^[2] Paul treats it under Netz.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The internet, the worldwide network of computer systems that offers various services: im Internet surfen “to surf the internet”.^[4][1]

Word family

• Internetadresse
• Internetnutzer

Related words

• Netz
• English internet

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2020), 6th ed., Duden vol. 7, Berlin: Dudenverlag, p. 397
3. ^ a b Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org
4. ^ a b c Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
5. ^ a b Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
6. ^ Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
7. ^ Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer