wissen German · revision 34794

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=765, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *wóyde}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvɪsn̩/, /ˈvɪsən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''wissen''' (preterite-present, third-person singular present weiß, past tense wusste, past participle gewusst, past subjunctive wüsste, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|wizzen]], [[inh|goh|wizzan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*witan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*witaną|t=to know]].^(Wiktionary)^(Kluge 2011|992) It is a preterite-present verb: its present singular, Old High German [[m|goh|weiz]], continues the Germanic form [[gem-pro|*wait|t=knows]], also in [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍄|tr=wait]], [[non|veit]] and [[ang|wāt]].^(Kluge 2011|992)^(Pfeifer 1993) The infinitive is [[osx|witan]], [[m|ang|witan]], [[m|non|vita]] and [[m|got|𐍅𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=witan]], and today [[nl|weten]], [[sv|veta]] and English [[m|en|wit]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|992)

+

+ The Germanic present goes back to the perfect without reduplication [[ine-pro|*wóyde|t=has seen, knows]], also in [[sa|वेद|tr=véda]], [[grc|οἶδα|tr=oîda|t=I know]] and [[cu|вѣдѣ|tr=vědě]].^(Kluge 2011|992)^(Pfeifer 1993) It expressed the state reached by the act of the root [[ine-pro|*weyd-|t=to find, see]]: “I have seen” and so “I know”.^(Kluge 2011|992)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The root itself is found in [[m|grc|εἶδον|tr=eîdon|t=I saw]], in [[la|videō|t=to see]] and in [[m|cu|видѣти|tr=viděti|t=to see]].^(Kluge 2011|992)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''wizzan'' is one of the commonest verbs, recorded from the glosses of 765 and the Hildebrandslied on, and in nearly all the texts.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|396) It meant “to know, be acquainted with, understand, recognize”;^(Schützeichel 2012|396) ''ne weiz waz'' “I know not what” served for “something”.^(Schützeichel 2012|396)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The past tense ''wusste'' replaced older ''wiste''.^(Paul 2002) Southwestern German says ''er weißt'' after the regular verbs, a form the young Schiller used, and ''weiß Gott'' keeps the old Germanic order with the subject after the verb.^(Paul 2002) With ''zu'' and an infinitive the verb means “to know how to, be able to”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Middle High German ''neizwer'' “someone”, from “I know not who”, died out, and the later ''ich weiß nicht was'' imitates French.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The noun ''[[Wissen]]'' occurs in Middle High German mainly in the mystics, such as Meister Eckhart, and became common only in Early New High German.^(DWB|30, 743)^(Pfeifer 1993) Late Middle High German ''wizzen(t)schaft'' meant “knowledge, information”;^(Pfeifer 1993) in the 16th and 17th centuries ''Wissenschaft'' came to render Latin ''scientia'', and in the Enlightenment it became the name of a scholarly discipline, replacing ''Kunst''.^(Duden 7 2020|937)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Wissenschaftler'' (18th century) was at first disparaging beside ''Wissenschafter''.^(Pfeifer 1993) The verb was borrowed into Modern Hebrew in phrases such as ''ikh wais?'' “how should I know?”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''wizzan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 8th century – ''wizzantheit'' “knowledge, insight” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Late Middle High German – ''wizzen(t)schaft'' “knowledge” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''meines Wissens'' “as far as I know” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''nach bestem Wissen'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen'' appears, and ''Wissenschaftler'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Mid-19th century – ''Besserwisser'' “know-all” appears, after ''Besserwisserei'' of about 1800.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|know]], to have knowledge of something from experience or information: ''sie weiß die Antwort''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be [[m|en|aware]] of something;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''(formal)'' to know someone or something to be in a certain state: ''sie wussten die Kinder in Sicherheit''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with zu and an infinitive)'' To know how to, to be able to: ''er weiß sich zu helfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(with noch)'' To [[m|en|remember]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Wissen]]

+ * [[Wissenschaft]]

+ * [[Wissenschaftler]]

+ * [[wissentlich]]

+ * [[Besserwisser]]

+ * [[Gewissen]]

+ * [[bewusst]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gewiss]]

+ * [[weise]]

+ * [[weisen]]

+ * [[Witz]]

+ * [[Idee]]

+ * [[en|wit]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''Wissen ist Macht'' “knowledge is power” goes back to Francis Bacon.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}