allein

Forms

allein (indeclinable, predicative only)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German alein, a fusion of al (“all, wholly”), used as an intensifier, with eine (“alone, only”), the numeral ein, which by itself already meant “alone”.^[2][3][4] In Old High German the weak form eino of the numeral meant “alone, apart, the only one”, and the uninflected word as an adverb meant “only”.^[5][6]

The same formation is Middle Low German allēne, Middle Dutch allene, Old Frisian allen, Dutch alleen and Middle English al one, today's English alone.^[4][3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective “alone” is recorded from the 12th century: about 1160 Der von Kürenberg has a woman say swenne ich stân aleine in mînem hemede “when I stand alone in my shift” and think of the noble knight.^[4] In Wolfram's Parzival (about 1210) Gawan reit al ein “rode alone” towards danger.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The adverbial sense “only” developed almost at the same time as “alone”, and out of it grew the use as a conjunction.^[4] Middle High German also used alein to introduce a clause of concession, “although”, but this use went out of use early.^[7][4] The coordinating conjunction “but, however” is found from Early New High German and is old-fashioned in the 20th century.^[3][4] Early New High German also had nicht allein …, sondern auch “not only …, but also”.^[8]

The form alleine was originally used in all senses, and later mainly in colloquial speech for “alone”.^[4] It is strengthened in ganz allein and mutterseelenallein.^[9] The adjective alleinig is dated to the 14th century by Pfeifer and to the 17th by the Duden.^[3][10] Alleinherrschaft dates from the 17th century, and Alleinherrscher from the 18th, as a translation of Monarch.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1160 – Der von Kürenberg uses aleine “alone”.^[4]
• c. 1210 – Wolfram's Parzival has al ein “alone”.^[4]
• 1343 – Matthias von Beheim's gospel book says that Jesus went up a mountain alleine to pray.^[4]
• 14th century – The adjective alleinig is first recorded, according to Pfeifer.^[3]
• 16th century – Alleinherrschung appears, followed in the 17th century by Alleinherrschaft.^[3]
• 18th century – Alleinherrscher is formed as a translation of Monarch.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Only predicative: without others, on one's own: er reist gern allein.^[11][1]
2. lonely: sich allein fühlen.^[11]
3. Without help: das Kind kann schon allein essen, and colloquially von allein(e) “by itself, of one's own accord”.^[11]

Adverb

1. (formal) only, exclusively: sie allein trägt die Verantwortung.^[11][1]
2. Even just, by itself, not counting anything else: allein die Miete kostet die Hälfte des Gehalts.^[11]

Conjunction

1. (formal) but, however: ich habe es versucht, allein es war vergebens.^[11][1]

Word family

• alleinig
• Alleingang
• Alleinherrscher
• alleinstehend
• alleinerziehend
• mutterseelenallein

Related words

• all
• ein
• einzig
• English alone

Usage notes

In colloquial German the form alleine is common.^[11][4] Allein stehend means “unmarried, without family”, and allein erziehend “bringing up children without a partner”.^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 32
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm, Neubearbeitung (1965–2018), ed. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, 9 vols. (A–F), Leipzig / Stuttgart: Hirzel, p. 2, 323
5. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. 2, 989
6. ^ Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch (1952–), founded by Elisabeth Karg-Gasterstädt and Theodor Frings, Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag / De Gruyter; online awb.saw-leipzig.de
7. ^ Lexer, Matthias (1872–1878), Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch, 3 vols., Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 1, 36
8. ^ Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
9. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 1, 216
10. ^ Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
11. ^ a b c d e f g h Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag