spät German · revision 34828

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 9th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *spēdiz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃpɛːt/, /ʃpeːt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''spät''' (strong nominative masculine singular später, comparative später, superlative am spätesten)^(Wiktionary)

+ Beside the adjective stood an adverb without umlaut, Middle High German ''spāte'', ''spāt'', Old High German ''spāto'', which survives as ''spat'' in poetry and dialect but is otherwise dated.^(Duden 7 2020|797)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|spæte]], [[inh|goh|spāti]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*spādī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*spēdiz]].^(Kluge 2011|862)^(Wiktionary) Outside German it is found only in [[dum|spade]], whence [[nl|spade]], now dated, and in a superlative, [[got|𐍃𐍀𐌴𐌳𐌿𐌼𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃|tr=spēdumists|t=the latest, last]].^(Duden 7 2020|797)^(Pfeifer 1993) The other Germanic languages use different words, as [[en|late]], which originally meant “slow”.^(DWB|16, 1974)

+

+ Its further origin is not certain.^(Kluge 2011|862)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kluge compares [[lt|spėtas|alt=spė̃tas|t=leisure]] and [[la|spatium|t=space, extent, duration]], and puts that word with [[m|lt|spėti|alt=spė́ti|t=to have time]] and [[cu|спѣти|tr=spěti|t=to advance, prosper]], so with the family of [[sputen]]; the sense “to thrive, grow” would have been transferred to time, but he finds both the meanings and the sounds problematic.^(Kluge 2011|862) Pfeifer and the Duden start from a sense “drawn out, advanced in time” and connect it with the same verb, from the root [[ine-pro|*spē-|t=to thrive, expand, get ahead]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|797) Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary also relate it to [[sparen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Wiktionary gives the root as [[ine-pro|*speh₁-|t=to succeed, prosper]], with a development “prosper” > “last long” > “late”.^(Wiktionary) The Grimms' dictionary objects that the other Germanic words for “late” all go back to a sense “slow, sluggish”.^(DWB|16, 1974)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''spāti'' is first recorded in glosses of the early 9th century and in Otfrid, meaning “late, too late”; the adverb ''spāto'' is found in the Benedictine Rule of about 800, and also meant “in the evening”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|304) Pfeifer also cites a noun ''spātīn'' “slowness” from about 800.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul describes the word as naming the end of a period of time: late in the day, opposed to [[früh]], late in the year, and late in life (''in späten Jahren'').^(Paul 2002) With ''zu'' it marks a missed moment: ''zu spat kommen'' is recorded by Kramer, and Schiller's ''Spät kommt ihr, doch ihr kommt'' from the ''Piccolomini'' became a saying.^(Paul 2002) Since Middle High German ''früh und spat'' has meant “all day long, always”, as in Goethe's ''Faust''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The superlative is used for an outer time limit, ''spätestens'' “at the latest”.^(Paul 2002) The derived verb [[verspäten]], Middle High German ''verspæten'', first meant “to linger” and also “to neglect”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|797) [[Spätling]], a late-born animal or late fruit, is recorded from the 16th century.^(Duden 7 2020|797) English borrowed ''Spätlese'', a wine from late-picked grapes, in 1926.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – The adverb ''spāto'' is used in the Old High German Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * Early 9th century – The adjective ''spāti'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|862)

+ * c. 1000 – Old High German ''spāten'' “to be late” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1172–1190 – Middle High German ''spæte'' is recorded.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 16th century – ''Spätling'' is recorded.^(Duden 7 2020|797)

+ * 1926 – English ''Spätlese'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Far advanced in time, near the end of a period: ''am späten Nachmittag'', ''im späten Mittelalter''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Later than expected or usual, [[m|en|belated]]: ''eine späte Reue'', ''ein später Frost''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(of an artist)'' In the last period of his or her work: ''der späte Beethoven''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(hunting)'' Of tracks: made only towards morning.^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|late]]: ''sie kam spät nach Hause'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''wie spät ist es?'' “what time is it?”^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[verspäten]]

+ * [[Verspätung]]

+ * [[spätestens]]

+ * [[Spätling]]

+ * [[Spätlese]]

+ * [[Spätsommer]]

+ * [[Spätherbst]]

+ * [[Spätwerk]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sputen]]

+ * [[sparen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Besser spät als nie'' “better late than never” is recorded by Adelung.^(Adelung 1793) The joking greeting ''je später der Abend, desto schöner die Gäste'' welcomes a guest who arrives late.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}