allgemein

Forms

allgemein (strong nominative masculine singular allgemeiner, comparative allgemeiner, superlative am allgemeinsten)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German algemeine (“all together, altogether”), beside Middle Low German algemêine and almêine.^[2][3] The word is from German all + gemein: the first part strengthens the second in its old sense “shared, common to all”.^[2][4][5]

The first part goes back to Proto-Germanic *allaz (“all”), the same word as Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐍃 (alls), Old Norse allr and Old English eall;^[6][7] its further origin is uncertain, and Kluge compares Oscan allo (“whole”) and Old Irish uile (“all”).^[6] The second continues Old High German gimeini, Proto-Germanic *gamainiz (“common”), also in Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains); it is formed exactly like Latin commūnis.^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest quotation in the revised Grimm dictionary is from the Middle High German Exodus of about 1120–1130: si sturben algemeine groz und chleine, “they all died, great and small”.^[3] The adverb, meaning “all together, in common”, is the usual form at first;^[10] Köbler lists it in Heinrich von Veldeke's Eneasroman (1187/1189) and the adjective “general, whole” in Ulrich von Zatzikhoven's Lanzelet (after 1193).^[10]

Semantic evolution

In Middle High German and Early New High German the word mostly followed a plural noun, “all of them, one and all”, as in ir herrn allgemein (“you lords, all of you”); this use lasted in verse and rhyme into the 18th century.^[3] The sense “universal, concerning the whole world” followed Latin catholicus and universālis: die allgemeine christliche Kirche renders the catholic church of the creed.^[3]

For a long time allgemein stood side by side with gemein, with which it was often exchanged or contrasted; set phrases such as das gemeine Wohl and der gemeine Nutzen came first, and das allgemeine Wohl replaced them only gradually.^[3] When gemein declined in meaning to “common, base, mean”, the old neutral sense stayed with allgemein, which displaced it in many uses from the 19th century on.^[2][3] The Grimms illustrate the split with allgemeine Geschichte, world history, against gemeine Geschichte, a common, worthless story.^[11]

The adverbial senses “by everyone, everywhere” (allgemein bekannt) spread from the middle of the 18th century, although Adelung rejected them as contrary to the meaning of the word.^[3][12] Also recent is the use for the general as opposed to the particular, from which come “vague, noncommittal” and, to a small degree, “ordinary”; but the word never declined as far as gemein.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 1120–1130 – The Middle High German Exodus uses algemeine “all together”.^[3]
• 1187/1189 – The adverb appears in Heinrich von Veldeke's Eneasroman.^[10]
• After 1193 – The adjective appears in Ulrich von Zatzikhoven's Lanzelet.^[10]
• 1522 – Zwingli writes of die allgemein versammlung der christen, the universal assembly of Christians.^[3]
• 1535 – Dasypodius's dictionary glosses Latin catholicus and universalis with allgemeyn.^[3]
• 1774 – Adelung's dictionary rejects allgemein in the sense “everywhere, by everyone”.^[3]
• 19th century – Allgemein displaces gemein in many uses.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Common to all, widespread, general: Die allgemeine Stimmung war gedrückt.^[13][1]
2. Everywhere, by everyone (as an adverb): Der Arzt ist im ganzen Dorf allgemein beliebt.^[13][14]
3. Concerning all, applying to or binding on everybody: das allgemeine Wahlrecht, universal suffrage.^[13]
4. Not going into detail, not special or specific;^[13][1] im Allgemeinen, in general, as a rule.^[13][1]
5. (often slightly pejorative) vague, noncommittal: Seine Antwort blieb sehr allgemein.^[13]
6. Wide-ranging, comprehensive: eine gute allgemeine Bildung.^[13]

Word family

• Allgemeinheit
• verallgemeinern
• Allgemeinbildung

Related words

• gemein

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 33
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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, 423
4. ^ Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
5. ^ Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
6. ^ a b Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 31
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
8. ^ Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 345
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
10. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
11. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 1, 234
12. ^ Adelung, Johann Christoph (1793–1801), Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart, 2nd ed., 4 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf
13. ^ a b c d e f g Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
14. ^ 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