Politik

Forms

Politik f (genitive Politik, plural Politiken)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French politique (“science of government”), borrowed in the middle of the 17th century.^[2][3][4][1] The French word goes back to Late Latin polīticē (“art of government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτική (politikḗ), short for πολιτικὴ τέχνη (politikḕ tékhnē, “the art of state administration”).^[2][3][5] The Grimms' dictionary and Paul name instead the feminine Medieval Latin politica, from the Greek neuter plural πολιτικά (politiká, “affairs of the state”).^[6][4]

The Greek adjective πολιτικός (politikós, “of the citizens, civic; of the state”) is derived from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”), from πόλις (pólis, “city, citadel, state”).^[2][3] The adjective politisch came earlier, in the 16th century, from the same French word and Latin polīticus.^[7][2] When the noun was borrowed it was stressed both on the last syllable, after French, and on the second.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Paul's first record is Politic in Seckendorff, 1656.^[4] In the 17th century politics was a branch of practical philosophy, the knowledge and art of governing a state,^[4][8] and German equivalents were tried: Welt-Kunst (Logau), Staats-Klugheit (Lohenstein), Regierungskunst (Leibniz).^[4][6] Schupp held that no more perfect politic was to be found than the Bible, and others wrote of “the false politics of Machiavelli”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century the concept narrowed towards the art of power,^[4] while ordinary speech used it for prudence in dealing with others, as Adelung noted in 1777;^[4][9] the general sense “calculating, purposeful behaviour” is still current.^[2][3] Later the private side dropped out.^[4] Clausewitz's dictum that war is nothing but the continuation of state policy by other means became famous, and Thomas Mann, in his Betrachtungen eines Unpolitischen (1918), declared that he did not want politics.^[4]

The derivative Politiker appears in the 18th century, after Medieval Latin politicus, and Politikerin in the first half of the 19th.^[2][3] English has borrowed Weltpolitik (1903) and the German compound Realpolitik has also passed into Hebrew.^[10]

Timeline

• 16th century – The adjective politisch is borrowed.^[7]
• 1656 – Politic in Seckendorff.^[4]
• Mid-17th century – The noun is established, from French.^[2]
• 1777 – Adelung records the general sense “prudence in dealing with others”.^[4]
• 18th century – Politiker “statesman” appears.^[2]
• First half of the 19th century – Politikerin appears.^[3]
• 1903 – English borrows Weltpolitik.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. politics: the action of governments, parliaments, parties and organisations aimed at achieving particular goals, especially in the state, and at shaping public life: die Politik der Landesregierung.^[11][12][1]
2. A policy: the line of action followed by a government or organisation: eine Politik der Entspannung.^[1][11]
3. Tactical, purposeful, calculating behaviour.^[11][12]
4. (informal, with the article) The politicians as a group: Die Politik hat versagt.^[1][13]

Word family

• Politiker
• Politikerin
• Politikbetrieb
• politikverdrossen
• Politikwissenschaft
• Realpolitik
• Weltpolitik

Related words

• Politikum
• politisch
• Polizei
• Metropole

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2020), 6th ed., Duden vol. 7, Berlin: Dudenverlag, p. 639
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
5. ^ Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
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. 13, 1979
7. ^ a b Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 714
8. ^ Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
9. ^ Adelung, Johann Christoph (1793–1801), Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart, 2nd ed., 4 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf
10. ^ a b Lehnwortportal Deutsch (2012–), Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, Mannheim, lwp.ids-mannheim.de
11. ^ a b c Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
12. ^ a b Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
13. ^ Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org