bekommen German · revision 34810

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Old High German Benedictine Rule|origins=gem-pro *bikwemaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈkɔmən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bekommen''' (class 4 strong, third-person singular present bekommt, past tense bekam, past participle bekommen, past subjunctive bekäme, auxiliary haben or sein)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bekomen]], [[inh|goh|biqueman]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bikweman]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bikwemaną|t=to come near, come about]], a formation with the prefix [[be-]] on the strong verb [[kommen]].^(Kluge 2011|107)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2020|139) The same formation is found in most Germanic languages, with very different senses: [[got|𐌱𐌹𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽|tr=biqiman|t=to come upon, attack]], [[osx|bikuman|t=to come]], [[ang|becuman|t=to happen, arrive]] and [[en|become]], and [[nl|bekomen|t=to receive; agree with]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 887)^(Duden 7 2020|139) Pfeifer compares Latin [[m|la|conveniō|t=to come together, suit]] as a parallel.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''biqueman'' is first recorded in the Benedictine Rule (790–802) and Isidor, and then in the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and the glosses.^(DWB2|4, 887)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|189) It meant “to come, approach, arrive”, “to befall, fall to someone's share”, “to suit, be pleasant, be of use” and “to recover”, and with the genitive “to get back”.^(Schützeichel 2012|189) The Freising Paternoster (9th century) already uses it in the sense “to result in”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spatial sense “to come near, meet” lasted until the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) From Old High German on the verb also meant “to obtain”, at first intransitively with the genitive, as in Otfrid, and often in Middle High German;^(Kluge 2011|107)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|139) Kluge derives this from “to fall to someone's share”, while the Duden dictionary dates the sense “to receive” to Middle High German.^(Kluge 2011|107)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|139) It then became transitive, standing in style between ''kriegen'' and ''erhalten''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Another line led to “to come forth, grow, thrive”, said of plants until the early 19th century, which led to “to agree with someone”, of food, air or medicine, as in the toast ''wohl bekomm's'', which Frisch recorded in 1741.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|1, 1425) English ''become'' developed instead the sense “to come to be”.^(Duden 7 2020|139)^(Pfeifer 1993) [[bekömmlich]] “wholesome” became usual only in the second half of the 19th century; the earlier ''bekommlich'' meant “suitable” and belongs with [[bequem]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|139) Compounds such as [[herausbekommen]] (18th century) and [[abbekommen]] (early 19th century) were formed with the sense “to get”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 790–802 – Old High German ''biqueman'' appears in the Benedictine Rule.^(DWB2|4, 887)

+ * 9th century – The Freising Paternoster uses it in the sense “to result in”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 863–871 – Otfrid uses it in the sense “to obtain”.^(DWB2|4, 887)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The word is densely attested.^(DWB2|4, 887)

+ * 17th century – The sense “to come near, meet” dies out.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1741 – Frisch records ''wohl bekomme es'' as a toast.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''herausbekommen'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 19th century – The sense “to grow, thrive” dies out;^(Pfeifer 1993) ''abbekommen'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Second half of the 19th century – ''bekömmlich'' “wholesome” comes into use.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(auxiliary haben)'' To [[m|en|receive]], get: ''einen Brief bekommen'', ''eine Strafe bekommen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(auxiliary haben)'' To develop, catch: ''eine Erkältung bekommen'', ''Angst bekommen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(auxiliary haben)'' To be due to have, expect: ''Wir bekommen morgen Besuch.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(auxiliary haben)'' With a past participle, forming the dative passive: ''etwas geliehen bekommen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(auxiliary sein, with dative)'' To agree with someone: ''Der Wein ist ihm nicht bekommen.'';^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) ''wohl bekomm's!'', cheers.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bekömmlich]]

+ * [[abbekommen]]

+ * [[herausbekommen]]

+ * [[mitbekommen]]

+ * [[hinbekommen]]

+ * [[zurückbekommen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[kommen]]

+ * [[bequem]]

+ * [[en|become]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}