ebenfalls

Forms

ebenfalls^[1] In the 16th and 17th centuries it was also spelled ebensfals.^[2] Paul cites ebensfalls from Albertinus in 1598 and the separate genitive ebenes Falls from 1652.^[3]

Etymology

It is a univerbation of an older adverbial genitive phrase meaning “in an equal case”, made of the adjective eben and the noun Fall.^[1][4][2] The Duden dates the joined form to the 16th century, where it replaced the older phrase.^[4][5]

The adjective goes back to Old High German eban (“even, equal”) and Proto-Germanic *ebnaz (“even, equal”), seen also in Gothic 𐌹𐌱𐌽𐍃 (ibns), Old Norse jafn and Old English efen.^[6][7] Its further origin is unclear.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first quotation in the revised Grimm dictionary is from a Frankfurt guild ordinance of 1565, where a journeyman who insults another is ebenfals to be fined half a week's wage, that is “likewise”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word added a further case to what had been said, “likewise, also”.^[2] In older texts it could also mean “in the same way”, sometimes paired with wie, as in a 1756 chemistry text; this use has died out.^[2] Kaspar Stieler listed the word in 1691, and Paul glosses it “in agreement with what precedes, also”.^[3] The Grimms' dictionary gave it the Latin equivalents itidem and aeque.^[8]

Timeline

• 1565 – First record, in a Frankfurt guild ordinance.^[2]
• 1598 – Albertinus writes ebensfalls.^[3]
• 1652 – The separate phrase ebenes Falls is still used.^[3]
• 1691 – Kaspar Stieler records the word in his dictionary.^[3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Likewise, also, too: Ihr Bruder war ebenfalls eingeladen “her brother was invited too”.^[5][1]
2. In danke, ebenfalls!, a reply to a good wish: the same to you.^[5]

Related words

• eben
• Fall
• ebenso

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f 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. 7, 18
3. ^ a b c d e 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 (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
5. ^ a b c Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
6. ^ a b Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 226
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
8. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 3, 14