jugendlich

Forms

jugendlich (strong nominative masculine singular jugendlicher, comparative jugendlicher, superlative am jugendlichsten)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German jugentlich, inherited from Old High German jugundlīh, an adjective formed with the suffix -lich on Jugend “youth”.^[2][3][4] The noun is jugund, from Proto-West Germanic *jugunþi, an abstract noun in *-ti- to the Indo-European adjective for “young” seen in Latin iuvenis and Lithuanian jaunas, the source of jung.^[5][2] The West Germanic /g/ arose from an earlier /w/, as also in Old English geoguþ and English youth, while Gothic and Old Norse avoided the sound environment that caused the change.^[5] Pfeifer thinks the /g/ may have come from the influence of Tugend.^[5][2] Latin iuventūs (“youth”) is a parallel abstract noun.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old High German jugundlīh is recorded in glosses from the beginning of the 9th century and in Otfrid, meaning “youthful” and also “lovely”, glossing Latin iucundus.^[4][6][7] Middle High German jugentlich is found in Gottfried's Tristan (about 1210).^[8]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle High German the word was rare beside the usual junglich, and the Grimms note that it became really widespread only in the 18th century.^[6] Adelung gives two senses: what belongs to or happens in youth (jugendliche Gedichte, der jugendliche Leichtsinn), and “young” in the elevated style, also of plants (das jugendliche Grün des Waldes).^[7] Schiller, Jean Paul and Wieland use it of old people who still give an impression of youth.^[6]

The noun Jugendlicher, usually in the plural Jugendliche “young people, adolescents”, dates from the 20th century.^[2] In advertising language jugendlich is used of clothes and hairstyles that make one look young.^[9]

Timeline

• Early 9th century – Old High German jugundlīh appears in glosses.^[4]
• 9th century – Otfrid uses jugundlīh.^[4][2]
• c. 1210 – Middle High German jugentlich in Gottfried's Tristan.^[8]
• 18th century – The word becomes widespread.^[6]
• 20th century – Jugendliche “adolescents” is used as a noun.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. adolescent, juvenile: of the age between childhood and adulthood: jugendliche Besucher.^[9][10]
2. youthful: having or showing the freshness and energy of youth: jugendlicher Eifer.^[9][1]
3. Looking or seeming young: eine jugendliche Erscheinung, sich jugendlich kleiden.^[9][10]

Word family

• Jugendlicher

Related words

• Jugend
• jung
• English youth

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
3. ^ Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
5. ^ a b c d Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 458
6. ^ a b c d Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 10, 2365
7. ^ a b Adelung, Johann Christoph (1793–1801), Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart, 2nd ed., 4 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf
8. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
9. ^ a b c d Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
10. ^ a b Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org