Redaktion

Forms

Redaktion f (genitive Redaktion, plural Redaktionen)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French rédaction, borrowed at the end of the 18th century.^[2][3][4] The French noun was formed to rédiger (“to draw up, write down”), from Latin redigō (“to drive back, bring into order”), with its past participle redāctum, from re- and agō (“to drive, do”);^[2][4] Kluge suggests that action served as its model.^[2][4] Related loans are the verb redigieren and the agent noun Redakteur, from rédacteur.^[2][4] The same word is Dutch redactie and English redaction.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first records are from 1799, with Redakzion der Begebenheiten des Tages, the editing of the day's events, and in a quotation of 1801.^[3] At first the word meant the checking and preparing of a manuscript for publication.^[4][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 19th century Redaktion came to mean the whole editorial staff of a newspaper or publisher and the rooms where they work.^[4][3] The adjective redaktionell dates from the end of the 19th century, after French rédactionnel.^[4][3] The verb redigieren had been taken directly from Latin in the first half of the 16th century in the sense “to drive together, put in order”, and was borrowed again from French around 1800 in its modern sense.^[4] Compounds include Redaktionsschluss, the deadline for copy.^[3]

Timeline

• First half of the 16th century – redigieren is borrowed from Latin.^[4]
• Second half of the 18th century – Redakteur is borrowed from French.^[4]
• 1799 – First record of Redaktion.^[3]
• 19th century – First use for the editorial staff and offices.^[4]
• End of the 19th century – First record of redaktionell.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. editing, the work of an editor in preparing texts for publication: Sie übernahm die Redaktion des Sammelbandes.^[5][1]
2. The editorial staff of a newspaper, broadcaster or publisher: Die Redaktion traf sich am Morgen.^[5][1]
3. The editorial office or offices, or a department of them: Er arbeitet in der Sportredaktion.^[5][1]
4. (technical) A version or recension of a text.^[5][6]

Word family

• redaktionell
• Redaktionsschluss
• Sportredaktion

Related words

• Redakteur
• redigieren

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 751
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Schulz, Hans; Basler, Otto, et al. (1913–1988), Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch, 7 vols., Strasbourg / Berlin: Trübner / De Gruyter; 2nd ed., ed. Gerhard Strauß et al. (1995–), Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; via OWID, Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 c d Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
6. ^ Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag