Publikum

Forms

Publikum n (genitive Publikums, plural (rare) Publika)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin publicum (“the common people; the public”), borrowed at the beginning of the 18th century.^[2][3][4] It is the neuter of Latin pūblicus (“belonging to the people or the state, public”), from populus (“people”).^[2][5][6] Its senses were shaped by French public and the English public borrowed from it.^[4][7][3] The adjective publik came from the French word about 1700.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 15th century Medieval Latin publicum was rendered in German as gemain volck “the common people”.^[2] The borrowed word appears at the beginning of the 18th century, at first with Latin endings.^[2][3] After the middle of the century, under the influence of French public, it came to mean the people assembled at a theatre or an exhibition, a use that spread from Berlin; earlier German said die Welt.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

In Goethe's time Publikum meant both the spectators or listeners of a performance and the readers of an author: in Faust the poet is warned that the Publikum will pull his whole work to pieces, and in his maxims Goethe wrote that an author shows his readers the greatest respect by never giving them what they expect.^[3] From the 19th century it also meant the public at large, and the guests of a place such as a restaurant or spa.^[3][7] Handke's play Publikumsbeschimpfung addresses its audience directly.^[3] In older academic language a Publikum was also a free public lecture.^[8]

Timeline

• 15th century – Medieval Latin publicum is translated gemain volck.^[2]
• About 1700 – publik is borrowed from French.^[2]
• Early 18th century – Publikum appears, with Latin endings.^[2][3]
• After 1750 – The sense “audience” spreads from Berlin.^[2]
• 19th century – The sense “the public, the clientele” appears.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. The audience of an event, the spectators or listeners: Das Publikum klatschte begeistert.^[7][1]
2. The people interested in something, especially in art or learning; readership: Ihre Romane haben ein großes Publikum.^[7][8]
3. The guests or visitors of a place: In dem Café verkehrt ein junges Publikum.^[7][1]
4. (colloquial) People watching or listening to someone: Er spielt sich gern vor Publikum auf.^[7]

Word family

• Fachpublikum
• Stammpublikum
• Publikumserfolg
• Publikumsliebling
• Publikumsmagnet

Related words

• publik
• Publikation
• publizieren
• Publizist
• populär

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 g h i Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
4. ^ a b Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2014), 5th ed., Duden vol. 7, Berlin / Mannheim / Zürich: Dudenverlag, p. 664
5. ^ a b Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 730
6. ^ Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
7. ^ a b c d e f Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
8. ^ a b Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag