normal

Forms

normal (strong nominative masculine singular normaler, comparative normaler, superlative am normalsten)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin nōrmālis (“made with the carpenter's square, (Late Latin) according to the rule”), probably also influenced by French normal.^[2][3][4] The Latin adjective comes from nōrma (“carpenter's square; rule, standard”), which German borrowed in the 14th century as Norm.^[2][5][6]

Kluge calls the origin of the Latin noun unclear.^[5] Duden derives it, probably through Etruscan, from Ancient Greek γνώμων (gnṓmōn, “judge; standard, carpenter's square”), in the accusative γνώμονα (gnṓmona), from γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to know, judge”).^[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective is recorded from the beginning of the 18th century, meaning “according to the norm, as prescribed, regular”.^[2][3] The Grimms define it as “serving as a norm or conforming to it, regular”, with phrases such as normale Größe and normaler Zustand.^[8]

Semantic evolution

From “conforming to the rule” the word widened to “usual, ordinary, average” and “mentally healthy”.^[2] The sense “mentally and physically sound” is now marked as dated, and the angry question bist du noch normal? is colloquial.^[9][10] In colloquial speech normal is also used for normalerweise “usually”.^[10][1]

Technical compounds such as Normalbreite appear in Jacobsson's 18th-century technological dictionary.^[8] The verb normalisieren was taken from normaliser, in the 19th century according to Pfeifer and in the 20th according to Duden.^[2][6] The neuter noun Normal names a precise standard measure and, short for Normalbenzin, regular petrol.^[10] Silesian borrowed the word as normalny.^[1]

Timeline

• 14th century – Latin nōrma is borrowed as Norm.^[5]
• Early 18th century – First record of normal.^[2][3]
• Early 19th century – The verb normieren “to standardize” appears.^[2]
• 19th century – normalisieren is taken from French.^[2]
• 20th century – normen replaces the older normieren.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Conforming to the Norm, as prescribed, regular: Ihr Blutdruck ist wieder normal.^[10][9]
2. Usual, ordinary, the way people generally expect: Unter normalen Umständen dauert die Fahrt eine Stunde.^[10][1]
3. Developing without noticeable deviation; mentally sound.^[10][9]

Adverb

1. In a normal way, normally.^[1]
2. (colloquial) Usually, as a rule, for normalerweise: Normal fahre ich mit dem Rad zur Arbeit.^[10][1]

Interjection

1. (colloquial) Sure, of course, implying that something goes without saying.^[1]

Word family

• normalerweise
• normalisieren
• Normalität
• anormal
• Normalbenzin

Related words

• Norm
• normieren
• abnorm
• enorm

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
3. ^ a b c Wiktionary, das freie Wörterbuch (German Wiktionary), de.wiktionary.org
4. ^ Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
5. ^ a b c Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 659
6. ^ a b c Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
8. ^ a b Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 13, 899
9. ^ a b c Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
10. ^ a b c d e f g Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag