töten

Forms

töten (third-person singular present tötet, past tense tötete, past participle getötet, auxiliary haben)^[1] Older spellings are tödten and töden.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German tœten (also tœden), inherited from Old High German tōden, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *daudijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *daudijaną (“to make dead, kill”).^[1][2][3] It is the factitive verb of the adjective tot, formed from *daudaz (“dead”) with the suffix *-janą, so it means “to make dead”.^[1][2][4]

The same verb is Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (dauþjan) (also 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gadauþjan)), Old Saxon bidōdian, Old English ādȳdan, Old Norse deyða, Middle Dutch dōden and Dutch doden.^[2][1] Compare English deaden.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old High German tōden is first recorded in Notker, about 1000, meaning “to kill”, and in glosses.^[3][5] The prefixed irtōden also appears about 1000.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Middle High German tœten meant “to make dead, kill”, and it was also used figuratively: generosity can “kill” sin before God, quicksilver is “killed” with spittle, and a document could be declared void, as in a Wertheim charter of 1356 in which one letter is to tôden und vernichten another.^[6] Early New High German used it, especially in religious writing, for mortifying the flesh and overcoming sin.^[7]

abtöten, already Gothic afdauþjan, is recorded from the 15th century, and today is used above all of destroying micro-organisms;^[2][4] ertöten has had its modern sense “to deaden (a feeling)” since the 18th century.^[2][4] In colloquial use one can “kill” bacteria, the nerve of a tooth, or a cigarette by stubbing it out.^[8]

Timeline

• About 1000 – Notker uses Old High German tōden.^[3]
• 1356 – A Wertheim charter uses tôden for cancelling a document.^[6]
• 15th century – First record of abtöten.^[2]
• 18th century – ertöten takes its modern sense.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To kill, to cause the death of a person or animal: Der Jäger tötete den verletzten Hirsch mit einem Schuss.^[8][1]
2. (reflexive) To kill oneself.^[8]
3. (colloquial) To destroy or put out of action: to kill bacteria or the nerve of a tooth, to stub out a cigarette.^[8]

Word family

• Tötung
• abtöten
• ertöten

Related words

• tot
• Tod
• English deaden

Usage notes

The commandment Du sollst nicht töten “thou shalt not kill” uses the verb without an object.^[8] The noun Tötung is Middle High German tœtunge.^[2]

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 Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
4. ^ a b c Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2020), 6th ed., Duden vol. 7, Berlin: Dudenverlag, p. 864
5. ^ Schützeichel, Rudolf (2012), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 7th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 332
6. ^ a b Lexer, Matthias (1872–1878), Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch, 3 vols., Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities
7. ^ Anderson, Robert R.; Goebel, Ulrich; Reichmann, Oskar, eds. (1989–), Frühneuhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; FWB-online, fwb-online.de
8. ^ a b c d e Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag