Thema German · revision 34832

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1350, Tauler|origins=grc τίθημι}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈteːma/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Thema''' ''n'' (genitive Themas, plural Themen or (elevated) Themata or (music, rare) Themas, diminutive Themchen n or Themachen n)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Latin plural ''Themata'' is the older one;^(DFWB)^(Wiktionary) Latin inflection was used until the 19th century, and in the 16th century a short form ''Them'' is also found.^(DFWB)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|thema]], [[bor|la|thema|t=proposition, subject]], from [[grc|θέμα|tr=théma|t=something laid down, proposition]], a noun to [[m|grc|τίθημι|tr=títhēmi|t=to put, set, place]].^(Kluge 2011|915)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB)^(Wiktionary) The Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch gives Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|thema|t=preface; matter, subject]] as the immediate source, and notes that the Latin word also meant a horoscope; in Greek the word was used for a thesis set for declamation and for the stem of a word.^(DFWB) The Greek verb is related to [[tun]].^(Duden 7 2020|858)

+

+ The sources date the borrowing differently: Kluge and the Duden to the 15th century, Pfeifer to the 14th, and Köbler records it in Tauler before 1350.^(Kluge 2011|915)^(Duden 7 2020|858)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Late Middle High German ''thema'' is used by Tauler before 1350.^(Köbler MHD) In 1414 a chronicle reports a bishop's sermon: ''und was das sin thema: Erit magnus coram domino'' “and this was his text: He shall be great in the sight of the Lord”.^(DFWB) The first sense was a text or saying set for development, especially the Bible verse on which a sermon is based.^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 18th century the word was used more widely for the subject or leading idea of a text, a conversation or a work of art;^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) Heine writes of ''undankbare Themata'' (1837).^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) In music it names the melody on which a work or its variations are built.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) In linguistics it names the part of a sentence that conveys what is already known, as opposed to the ''Rhema''.^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ The derivatives [[thematisch]] and [[Thematik]] are recorded in the 19th century, ''Thematisierung'' in 1935 and [[thematisieren]] in 1965.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Hungarian borrowed ''téma'' in 1790 and ''tematika'' in 1915.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1350 – Middle High German ''thema'' is used by Tauler.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 1414 – ''thema'' names the text of a sermon.^(DFWB)

+ * 16th century – The short form ''Them'' appears.^(DFWB)

+ * 18th century – The general sense “subject, leading idea” spreads.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1790 – Hungarian ''téma'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 19th century – ''thematisch'' and ''Thematik'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1965 – ''thematisieren'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|topic]] or [[m|en|subject]] of a study, work or conversation: ''das Thema wechseln''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' In ''kein Thema'': no problem, that goes without saying.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(music)'' A [[m|en|theme]], the melody that forms the main idea of a composition.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(linguistics)'' The part of a sentence that conveys known information, as opposed to the [[Rhema]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(grammar, archaic)'' The [[m|en|stem]] of an inflected word.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[thematisch]]

+ * [[Thematik]]

+ * [[thematisieren]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[These]]

+ * [[Theke]]

+ * [[tun]]

+ * [[en|theme]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}