Etymologically
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technisch

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Pronunciation

  • [ˈtɛçnɪʃ][1]

Forms

technisch (strong nominative masculine singular technischer, not comparable)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from New Latin technicus (“technical, expert”), from Ancient Greek τεχνικός (tekhnikós, “artistic, skilful, expert”), from τέχνη (tékhnē, “craft, art, skill, science”).[2][3][4] The Latin form was used in German from the middle of the 17th century, and the adjective with the German suffix -isch replaced it from the early 18th century.[5][2][3] The Grimms' dictionary saw in it a model in French technique,[6] and the Duden dictionary of foreign words gives the route as Greek by way of French.[7]

The Greek noun goes back to a form with /ks/ and belongs with τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter, builder”), the second part of Architekt; outside Greek it is related to Latin texō (“to weave, build”), the source of Text.[3][4] Its German relatives are found under Dechsel (“adze”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch has the Latin form in 1698, in a plan for a dictionary that was to be “etymological, technical and usual”.[5] The first sense was “belonging to the language of a special field”: the Latin plural Technica meant technical terms, and Terminus technicus a technical term (from 1668).[5][2]

Semantic evolution

From the early 18th century the adjective also meant “done according to the rules of an art or craft, expert, workmanlike”, at first of the traditional trades and arts.[5] In this older sense Goethe wrote of die technischen Kennzeichen der Gemählde, the technical marks of paintings.[8] The phrases technischer Ausdruck and technisches Wort for a technical term appeared in the later 18th century and are now rare.[5]

The modern sense “relating to technology, engineering” followed the noun Technik, used by Kant in 1781 and spreading with modern industry.[2][9] Dutch took technisch from German in 1778.[10]

Timeline

  • mid-17th century – The Latin form technicus is used in German texts.[2][5]
  • 1668 – First record of Terminus technicus.[2]
  • 1698 – technici in a plan for a German dictionary.[5]
  • early 18th century – The German form technisch appears, meaning “according to the rules of an art”.[5][2]
  • 1765 – technische Kathedersprache, the technical language of the lecture hall.[5]
  • 1778 – Dutch borrows technisch.[10]
  • 1781 – Kant uses the noun Technik.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to technology or engineering: Sie studiert an einer technischen Universität.[9][1]
  2. Relating to the technique or skill needed to do something: Die Pianistin spielte technisch makellos.[9][7]
  3. Relating to organisation or practical arrangements: Die Sitzung fiel aus technischen Gründen aus.[9]
  4. (dated) Belonging to the language of a special field: ein technischer Ausdruck.[5]

Word family

  • Techniker

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2007), 4th ed., Duden vol. 7, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
  4. ^ a b c Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 910
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Schulz, Hans; Basler, Otto, et al. (1913–1988), Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch, 7 vols., Strasbourg / Berlin: Trübner / De Gruyter; 2nd ed., ed. Gerhard Strauß et al. (1995–), Berlin / New York: De Gruyter; via OWID, Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache
  6. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities
  7. ^ a b Duden. Das Fremdwörterbuch (2007), 9th ed., Duden vol. 5, Mannheim: Dudenverlag
  8. ^ Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 21, 231
  9. ^ a b c d Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag
  10. ^ a b Lehnwortportal Deutsch (2012–), Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, Mannheim, lwp.ids-mannheim.de