nennen German · revision 34837

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈnɛnən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nennen''' (irregular weak, third-person singular present nennt, past tense nannte, past participle genannt, past subjunctive nennte, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The past tense and participle ''nannte'', ''genannt'' have the vowel without umlaut, as in ''brennen''.^(Paul 2002) Forms with umlaut, such as the indicative ''nennte'' and the participle ''genennet'', are not rare until the 18th century.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|nennen]], [[inh|goh|nemnen]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*namnijan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*namnijaną|t=to name]], a verb derived from the noun that is now [[Name]].^(Kluge 2011|652)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[got|𐌽𐌰𐌼𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=namnjan]], [[non|nefna]], [[ang|nemnan]], [[ofs|namna]] and [[osx|nemnian]], and today [[sv|nämna]] and [[is|nefna]].^(Kluge 2011|652)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge notes that the suffix of the noun appears here in its zero grade, and compares the parallel formations [[la|nōminō]] from [[m|la|nōmen]] and [[grc|ὀνομάζω|tr=onomázō]] from [[m|grc|ὄνομα|tr=ónoma]]; the first sense was thus “to give a name”.^(Kluge 2011|652)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Wiktionary notes that similar verbs in Hittite and Greek might point to a denominative verb already in Indo-European, but that they are more likely independent formations.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In Old High German the cluster /mn/ is kept mainly in Isidor and the Tatian; elsewhere it was assimilated to /nn/, and in Alemannic to /mm/.^(EWA|6, 890) Pfeifer dates the form with /mm/ to about 800 and that with /nn/ to the 9th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) A form with a different vowel grade, [[gmw-pro|*nōmijan]], underlies [[nl|noemen]] and [[ofs|nōmia]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''nemnen'' is first recorded in glosses at the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century, and then in Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and other texts.^(EWA|6, 890)^(Köbler AHD) It meant “to designate, give a name, name, mention, mean, address, call”, also “to testify”;^(EWA|6, 890)^(Schützeichel 2012|235) ''zi guote nemnen'' was “to bless” and ''zi ubile nemnen'' “to curse”.^(EWA|6, 890)^(Schützeichel 2012|235)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''nemmen'', ''nennen'' meant “to give a name, call by name”, also “to fix, determine, appoint, declare, proclaim, praise”, and the participle ''genant'' could mean “famous”.^(EWA|6, 890) Luther writes ''da ward sein Name genennet Jesus'' (Luke 2:21).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Paul compares ''nennen'' with transitive [[heißen]]: both can add a name or a description, as in ''das nenne ich einen Freund'' “that is what I call a friend”, but only ''nennen'' can stand without such an addition, meaning “to say someone's name”.^(Paul 2002) The prefixed verbs [[benennen]] and [[ernennen]] go back to Middle High German.^(Duden 7 2014) [[Nenner]] was used at the end of the 15th century for the nominative and, from the early 16th century, translating Medieval Latin ''denominator'', for the number below the line of a fraction, which “names” the fraction.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''nemnen'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|6, 890)

+ * c. 800 – The assimilated form ''nemmen'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 9th century – The form ''nennen'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 15th century – ''Nenner'' is used for the nominative case.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 16th century – ''Nenner'' is used for the denominator of a fraction.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – The past forms ''nennte'' and ''genennet'' are still in use.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|name]], to give a name to: ''Sie nannten die Katze Minka.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|call]], to describe as: ''jemanden einen Feigling nennen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To address by a name or form of address.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To state, to tell: ''den Preis nennen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|mention]], to cite: ''Beispiele nennen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To name a candidate or participant, to [[m|en|nominate]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To be called; to call oneself, to claim to be.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' To enter for a competition.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[benennen]]

+ * [[Benennung]]

+ * [[ernennen]]

+ * [[Ernennung]]

+ * [[Nenner]]

+ * [[nennenswert]]

+ * [[Nennung]]

+ * [[Nennwert]]

+ * [[umbenennen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Name]]

+ * [[heißen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}