gemeinsam German · revision 34820

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 800, Old High German Benedictine Rule|origins=gem-pro *gamainiz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈmaɪnza(ː)m/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gemeinsam''' (strong nominative masculine singular gemeinsamer, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gemeinsam]], [[inh|goh|gimeinsam]], a derivative [[af|goh|gimeini|-sam|t1=common]], the older form of [[gemein]].^(Kluge 2011|345)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge and the Duden dictionary describe it as a clarifying formation, which made the old sense of the adjective “common, shared” explicit, and Kluge adds that [[la|commūnis]] served as a model.^(Kluge 2011|345)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ The base adjective continues [[gem-pro|*gamainiz]], also seen in [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=gamains|t=common; unholy]], [[osx|gimēni]], [[ang|gemǣne]] and [[en|mean]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) Pfeifer explains it as a formation with the prefix [[gem-pro|*ga-]] on a noun with an /n/ suffix meaning “exchange” (as in [[Meineid]]), parallel to Latin [[m|la|commūnis]], so that it first meant “coming to several in turn”, then “belonging to several alike”.^(Pfeifer 1993) The derivative with [[-sam]] has a counterpart in [[nl|gemeenzaam|t=familiar]], while [[sv|gemensam]] was borrowed from German.^(DWB|5, 3263)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''gimeinsam'' is first recorded in the Benedictine Rule of about 800 and in glosses, meaning “common, shared”, also “all-embracing, catholic”, where it renders Latin ''communis'' and ''catholicus''.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB|5, 3263) Its abstract noun ''gimeinsamī'' “community” is just as old.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Early New High German the word meant “shared, joint” but also “familiar, affable, sociable”.^(FWB) Dictionaries of the 17th century still give this second sense, and Dutch ''gemeenzaam'' kept only that meaning.^(DWB|5, 3263) Adelung, around 1800, regarded the adjective as Upper German only, in both senses, and the Grimms' dictionary notes that by their time it meant only “joint, held in common”.^(Adelung 1793)^(DWB|5, 3263)

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+ The Grimms explain its growth by the decline of [[gemein]]: things shared by many were felt to be ordinary, so that ''gemein'' moved from the 15th century to “plain, common” and in the 19th century to “base, mean”, and speakers turned to ''gemeinsam'' for the old sense.^(DWB|5, 3263)^(Pfeifer 1993) Schiller and Voss used it in the modern way, as in ''das gemeinsame Schicksal''.^(DWB|5, 3263) The noun [[Gemeinsamkeit]] appears in the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''gimeinsam'' appears in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 1310 – Middle Dutch ''gemeenzaam'' “familiar” is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 15th century – The noun ''Gemeinsamkeit'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''gemein'' begins to mean “ordinary, plain”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – Dictionaries still give the sense “familiar, sociable”.^(DWB|5, 3263)

+ * c. 1800 – Adelung records the word as Upper German only.^(Adelung 1793)

+ * 19th century – ''gemein'' takes the sense “base”, and ''gemeinsam'' keeps “joint”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 3263)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Belonging to or shared by several people or things alike, [[m|en|common]], [[m|en|mutual]]: ''ein gemeinsames Konto''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' In ''größter gemeinsamer Teiler'' and ''kleinstes gemeinsames Vielfaches'': greatest common [[m|en|divisor]] and least common multiple.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # In ''etwas mit jemandem gemeinsam haben'': to have something in common with someone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|together|alt=Together]], [[m|en|jointly]]: ''gemeinsam kochen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gemeinsamkeit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gemein]]

+ * [[Gemeinde]]

+ * [[Gemeinschaft]]

+ * [[Meineid]]

+ * [[nl|gemeenzaam]]

+ * [[en|mean]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}