gerade

gerade¹ even (of a number)

Pronunciation

• /ɡəˈraːdə/, /ˈɡra(ː)d(ə)/^[1]

Forms

gerade (strong nominative masculine singular gerader, not comparable)^[1]

Etymology

The adjective for numbers is inherited from Middle High German gerat, inherited from Old High German girad (“even (of numbers)”).^[2][3][4] It belongs with Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐍉 (raþjō, “number, account”) and 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (garaþjan, “to count”), and so with the family of Rede.^[2][3][5] Kluge points out that it cannot correspond exactly to the Gothic noun, because the German forms show no umlaut, and suggests a formation such as Proto-Germanic *ga-raþa- (“whose number is equal”).^[2] Kluge compares the noun *raþjōn behind Rede with Latin ratiō and traces it to Proto-Indo-European *arə- (“to fit together”).^[6]

In speakers' minds the word has merged with the adjective meaning “straight”, which has a separate origin.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old High German gerad translates Latin pār “equal” from the beginning of its record, in Notker around 1000.^[3][4] Notker's Aristotle has par et impar i. kerad unde ungerad.^[7] Middle High German gerat, gerade meant “consisting of two equal numbers”.^[8]

Semantic evolution

In Tristan a company counted ein und ein is a gerade schar, which one more person would make uneven.^[7] The word became a term of arithmetic at the end of the 15th century.^[3] A children's game of guessing whether a number of nuts or pebbles held in the hand was even or odd, gerad oder ungerad, is mentioned in the Renner and by Luther.^[7]

The phrase fünf gerade sein lassen, literally “to let five be even”, means “not to be too strict”, and dates from the 16th century.^[3][7] Variants such as siebene grad sein lassen in Grimmelshausen are also recorded.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1000 – Old High German gerad and ungerad translate Latin pār and impār in Notker.^[3][4]
• End of the 15th century – The word becomes a mathematical term.^[3]
• 16th century – fünf gerade sein lassen is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (mathematics) even, divisible by two without remainder: gerade Hausnummern.^[9][1]

Word family

• ungerade

gerade² straight; just, now

Pronunciation

• /ɡəˈraːdə/, /ˈɡra(ː)d(ə)/^[1]

Forms

gerade (strong nominative masculine singular gerader, comparative gerader, superlative am geradesten)^[1]

Etymology

The adjective meaning “straight” is inherited from Middle High German gerade (“quick, nimble; tall, slender”), inherited from Old High German girādi (“quick”), a form with the prefix gi- beside Old High German rad (“quick”) and the adverb rado (“quickly”).^[2][3][4] The same simple adjective is Middle Low German rāt, Middle Dutch gherat, Dutch rad, Old English hræd and Old Norse hraðr (“quick”).^[3][10]

Its further origin is disputed.^[11][3] Kluge thinks that two Germanic adjectives have merged: one without /h/, seen in Old English rǣde and the Gothic comparative meaning “easier”, which he connects with Old Irish reithid (“runs”) and so with Rad; and one with /h/, Proto-Germanic *hradaz, compared with Lithuanian apikratai (“quickly”) from krė̃sti (“to shake”).^[11] Pfeifer takes the /h/ of the Old High German, Old English and Old Norse forms as proof of a root Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“to shake, move quickly”), also found in Lithuanian kretė́ti (“to tremble”) and Middle Irish crothaim (“I shake”).^[3][1] The Duden instead connects the adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *ret(h)- (“to roll, run”) of Rad.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old High German giradi “quick” is recorded in glosses before the end of the 8th century, and the adverb rado “quickly” in the 8th century.^[4][3] Kluge's 24th edition dates the word to the 8th century, the 25th to the 10th.^[12][2] Middle High German gerat, gerade meant “quick to hand, nimble” and, in Central German, “freshly grown, tall”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The modern sense, the opposite of krumm, grew out of the sense “tall, grown straight up”, first recorded in the 14th century, which led to “perpendicular” and then “straight”;^[3][2][13] Kluge thinks that the number word may have helped.^[3][2][13] In Early New High German the word often described people as tall and well built, but also still as nimble: a gerader gesell was a tall young fellow, a gerad pferdt a fast horse.^[3][10] The old sense “quickly” survives as an adverb in Low German dialects.^[10]

Figurative uses followed: “honest, open” from the 16th century, as in Luther's mit einer deutlichen und geraden antwort;^[3][13] “direct”, as in gerade gegenüber; and the adverb “exactly, just”, which began with movement going straight in a direction (er traf gerad das Hertz).^[3][13] With a negative it softens a statement (nicht gerade viel), and nun gerade expresses defiance, especially of children.^[13][14] The temporal sense “just now” is recorded by Kramer around 1700.^[13]

The noun Gerade “straight line” comes from gerade Linie (15th century), like Italian retta in Galilei (1638); Pfeifer dates its use in geometry to the beginning of the 18th century, while the Grimms think it was probably introduced by Jakob Steiner in 1832 and the Duden dates it to the 19th century.^[3][15][5] In sport it names a straight stretch of a track from the early 20th century.^[3][16]

Timeline

• 8th century – Old High German giradi “quick” and rado “quickly” are recorded.^[4][3]
• 14th century – First record of the sense “tall, grown straight”.^[3]
• 15th century – gerade Linie “straight line” appears.^[3]
• 16th century – The sense “honest, upright” appears.^[3]
• 1832 – Jakob Steiner uses die Gerade for a straight line in geometry.^[15]
• 1892 – Genthe records nun gerade (nicht)! as a phrase of defiance.^[13]
• Early 20th century – Gerade is used for a straight part of a racetrack.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. straight, not bent or curved: eine gerade Straße.^[14][1]
2. upright, not crooked or sloping; level: Das Regal steht nicht gerade.^[14][17]
3. Of a person: honest, straightforward.^[14][13]
4. Exact, direct: das gerade Gegenteil “the exact opposite”.^[14][13]

Adverb

1. just now, at this moment: Sie schreibt gerade einen Brief.^[14][1]
2. A moment ago: Er ist gerade gegangen.^[14][1]
3. (colloquial) Quickly, for a moment: Hilf mir mal gerade!^[14]
4. Directly: gerade gegenüber.^[14][13]
5. Only just, barely: Wir haben den Bus gerade noch erreicht.^[14][1]
6. (colloquial) All the more, out of defiance: Jetzt gerade!^[14][13]

Particle

1. Exactly, precisely, especially: Gerade diese Frage hat mich beschäftigt.^[14][1]
2. Of all (people, times), expressing annoyance: Warum gerade heute?^[14][1]
3. With a negative, softening the statement: nicht gerade billig.^[14][13]

Word family

• Gerade
• geradeaus
• geradezu
• geradeheraus
• geradewegs