zehn German · revision 34852

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 765, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *déḱm̥}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /t͡seːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''zehn''' (cardinal number; uninflected before a noun)^(DWB|31, 443)^(Wiktionary)

+ The contracted form ''zēn'' already occurs in Notker, but the two-syllable ''zehen'' remained the written form for a long time.^(DWB|31, 443) Bellin's spelling book of 1657 allowed ''zehn'' beside ''zehen'', the short form became more frequent in the 18th century, and Goethe still preferred ''zehen''.^(DWB|31, 443)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|zehen]], [[inh|goh|zehan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*tehun|t=ten]].^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌽|tr=taihun]], [[non|tíu]], [[ang|tīen]], [[ofs|tiān]] and [[osx|tehan]], and today [[nl|tien]], [[en|ten]] and [[sv|tio]].^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) It continues [[ine-pro|*déḱm̥|t=ten]], the Indo-European numeral, which is also found in [[sa|दश|tr=dáśa]], [[grc|δέκα|tr=déka]], [[la|decem]] and [[sga|deich]].^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The Baltic and Slavic forms, such as [[lt|dešimtis|alt=dešimtìs]] and [[cu|десѧть|tr=desętĭ]], point instead to a collective noun with an added dental, meaning “a group of ten”.^(Pfeifer 1993) The numeral is related to the suffix [[-zig]] of [[zwanzig]] and to [[hundert]], originally “a group of tens”.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|31, 443)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993) One proposal splits off a first element meaning “two” and takes the rest as a word for “hand”, so that ten would be “two hands”;^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge rejects it, because the Germanic word for hand is too isolated for such a comparison, and Pfeifer reports Jensen's version of the idea as uncertain.^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen derives the numeral from a root [[ine-pro|*dek-|t=to fit (in a row)]], which he also finds in [[gml|tachen|t=to arrange]] and [[gmh|zesem|t=row]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''zehan'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker, the Monsee fragments and the ''Georgslied'', meaning “ten”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|404) The ordinal ''zehanto'' “tenth” appears in the Old High German Benedictine Rule of about 800.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|404)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Used as a noun, the ordinal came to mean the tenth part of the yield of cattle and crops paid as a tax to the church or a landlord, the [[Zehnt]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|1004) Old High German ''zehanto'' has this sense from the 11th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|1004) Paul connects the payment with the rules of the Old Testament.^(Paul 2002) The fraction [[Zehntel]] is shortened from ''Zehnteil'', Middle High German ''zehenteil'', and has had its present form since the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|946)

+

+ For a period of ten years the 18th century often said ''das Zehnt'', which was then replaced by [[Jahrzehnt]], first ''Jahrzehend'', probably formed after [[Jahrhundert]].^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|946) The phrase ''die oberen Zehntausend'' “the upper ten thousand”, the richest and most distinguished part of society, follows English ''upper ten thousand'';^(Paul 2002) Bismarck used it.^(Paul 2002) In the Upper German dialects the old /h/ survives as a fricative, as in Swiss ''zähe'', inflected ''zächni''.^(DWB|31, 443)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''zehan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 800 – The ordinal ''zehanto'' is used in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 1000 – Notker writes the contracted form ''zēn''.^(DWB|31, 443)

+ * 11th century – ''zehanto'' is used for the tithe.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1657 – Bellin's spelling book allows ''zehn'' beside ''zehen''.^(DWB|31, 443)

+ * 18th century – ''Zehntel'' takes its present form, and ''Jahrzehend'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|946)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|ten|alt=Ten]], the cardinal number 10: ''zehn Minuten'', ''um zehn'' (at ten o'clock).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[zehnte]]

+ * [[Zehnt]]

+ * [[Zehntel]]

+ * [[Zehner]]

+ * [[Jahrzehnt]]

+ * [[Zehntausend]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[-zig]]

+ * [[hundert]]

+ * [[en|ten]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The figure 10, a playing card with ten pips and, colloquially, a tram or bus of route 10 are called ''die [[Zehn]]'', a feminine noun formed from the numeral.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(DWB|31, 447)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}