früh German · revision 34827

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 800, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *prō-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fʁyː/, [fʁ̥yː], [fryː]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''früh''' (strong nominative masculine singular früher, comparative früher, superlative am frühesten or am frühsten)^(Wiktionary)

+ The fuller form ''frühe'' is now rare.^(DWB|4, 281)^(Wiktionary) Early New High German still had ''fruo'' and the weakened ''frue'', which Bavarian keeps, while the umlauted ''früe'' of Luther and the dictionaries of the 16th century prevailed.^(DWB|4, 284) The ''h'' stands for an older ''j'', as in Middle High German ''vrüeje''.^(DWB|4, 284)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|vrüeje]], [[inh|goh|fruoi]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*frō|t=early]]: the Old High German adjective was formed from the adverb [[m|goh|fruo]], Middle High German [[m|gmh|vruo]], which is the older word.^(Duden 7 2020|291)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|3, 605) The word is found only in German and Dutch: [[osx|frō]], [[dum|vroe]], [[nl|vroeg]].^(Kluge 2011|321)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|3, 605) The Grimms' dictionary considered the Low German and Dutch words borrowed from High German.^(DWB|4, 284)

+

+ Outside Germanic it is related to [[grc|πρωΐ|tr=prōḯ|t=early]] and [[sa|प्रातर्|tr=prātár|t=early in the morning]], from [[ine-pro|*prō-|t=early, in the morning]], literally “in front, ahead (in time)”.^(Kluge 2011|321)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|291) The EWA notes that the adverb is formally identical with [[la|prō|t=before, for]], an old instrumental form.^(EWA|3, 605) Kluge and Pfeifer trace this to the root [[ine-pro|*per-|t=forward, first]], also seen in [[vor]] and [[für]].^(Kluge 2011|321)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb ''fruo'' is recorded before 800 in glosses, and then in the Murbach Hymns, the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and Williram, meaning “early, in the morning, in good time, soon”.^(EWA|3, 605)^(Schützeichel 2012|115) The adjective ''fruoi'' appears in glosses of about 800, meaning “early, before dawn, premature”.^(EWA|3, 608)^(Köbler AHD) About 830 the Tatian has ''fruo in morgan'' “early in the morning”.^(DWB2)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word first referred to the time of day.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The sources differ on when it was extended: the Duden says it was already applied to the year and to a person's life in Old High German, while Wahrig holds that it became the general opposite of [[spät]] only in New High German.^(Duden 7 2020|291)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Paul cites ''fruhes Obst'' “early fruit” from Stieler and Schiller's ''früh übt sich, was ein Meister werden will'' in ''Wilhelm Tell''.^(Paul 2002) It also came to mean “premature”, as in ''ein früher Tod''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The comparative ''früher'' took on the independent sense “formerly, in the past”, and ''früher oder später'' “sooner or later” replaced the older ''früh oder spät'' of the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The adverb still means “in the morning” in ''morgen früh'', already Middle High German ''morgen vrüeje''.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) Important derivatives are [[Frühling]] and [[Frühstück]], and the noun [[Frühe]], Old High German ''fruoī'' (about 1000).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|291)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 800 – Old High German ''fruo'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|3, 605)

+ * c. 800 – The adjective ''fruoi'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|3, 608)

+ * c. 830 – The Tatian has ''fruo in morgan''.^(DWB2)

+ * c. 1000 – The noun ''fruoī'' “early morning” is used by Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|3, 608)

+ * 16th century – The umlauted form ''früe'' prevails, as in Luther.^(DWB|4, 284)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not far advanced in time, near the beginning: ''am frühen Morgen'', ''in früher Kindheit''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Earlier than expected or usual, [[m|en|premature]]: ''ein früher Winter''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(of an artist)'' In the first period of his or her work: ''der frühe Goethe''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|early]]: ''sie ist früh aufgestanden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In the [[m|en|morning]]: ''morgen früh'', ''Montag früh''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Frühe]]

+ * [[frühestens]]

+ * [[frühzeitig]]

+ * [[Frühjahr]]

+ * [[Frühling]]

+ * [[Frühstück]]

+ * [[Frühsommer]]

+ * [[Frühgeburt]]

+ * [[Frühmesse]]

+ * [[verfrüht]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spät]]

+ * [[vor]]

+ * [[für]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Von früh auf'' means “from early childhood”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) In southern Germany and Austria ''die Früh'' is used for “the morning”, for example ''in der Früh''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) The proverb ''der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm'' means “the early bird catches the worm”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}