Grund German · revision 34861

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡʁʊnt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Grund''' ''m'' (genitive Grundes or Grunds, plural Gründe)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|grunt]], [[inh|goh|grunt]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*grundu]], [[inh|gem-pro|*grunduz|t=ground, bottom]].^(Kluge 2011|378)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|4, 657) The same word is [[got|𐌲𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌳𐌾𐌿𐍃|tr=grunduwaddjus|t=foundation wall]] (only in this compound), [[non|grunnr]], [[ang|grund]], [[ofs|grund]] and [[osx|grund]], and today [[nl|grond]], [[en|ground]] and [[sv|grund]].^(Kluge 2011|378)^(Orel 2003)^(EWA|4, 657)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|378)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kluge discusses [[sga|grindell|t=bottom of a lake]] and [[lt|pãgrindas|t=foundation]], but finds both difficult in form, and the Lithuanian word belongs with words for “plank”, so it may have meant an artificial floor.^(Kluge 2011|378) Pfeifer and the Duden assume an original sense “coarse sand, sandy soil”, literally “something ground up”, and connect it with the root [[ine-pro|*gʰren-|t=to rub, grind]], which would make it related to [[Grind]] and to [[en|grind]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|343) Wiktionary instead derives it from [[ine-pro|*gʰr̥mtús]], a derivative of a root meaning “floor”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''grunt'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in Notker, meaning “ground, bottom, depth”, also “foundation” and “root”; in the glosses it renders Latin ''fundus'', ''profundum'', ''alveus'' and ''praedium'' “estate”.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|4, 657)^(Schützeichel 2012|134)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul takes the basic sense to be “the surface on which something rests”: the earth, then landed property, as in ''grunt und eigen'' in Old High German and ''Grund und Boden'' (1429).^(Paul 2002) It also meant a hollow or valley, as in Luther's ''auf Bergen und in Gründen'' and in place names, and the bottom of water or of a vessel.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge sums up the later specialisations as landed property ([[Grundstück]], 1571), foundation ([[Grundlage]], [[Grundsatz]]) and cause ([[begründen]], [[grundlos]]).^(Kluge 2011|378)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Middle High German already used ''grunt'' figuratively for the depths of the heart, ''ûʒ herzen grunde''.^(Lexer 1872|1, 1101) From “basis” came the sense “reason, cause”, which Kluge treats as one of the main lines of development.^(Kluge 2011|378)^(Pfeifer 1993) The phrase ''zu Grunde gehen'' first meant “to sink to the bottom”, and it has meant “to be ruined” since the 18th century.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793) ''im Grunde'' weakened to “basically”.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793) Hungarian borrowed ''grund'' “basis” (1813).^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1000 – ''grunten'' and ''irgrunten'' “to fathom” are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1429 – ''Grund und Boden'' “land, property” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1571 – ''Grundstück'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''Gründer'' “founder” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|343)

+ * 18th century – ''zu Grunde gehen'' is used in the sense “to be ruined”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1813 – Hungarian ''grund'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 19th century – ''Gründerzeit'' names the boom years after 1871.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|ground]], soil; the surface of the earth.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(chiefly Austria)'' Land owned, a plot of land: ''ein Haus auf eigenem Grund bauen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated, literary)'' A small [[m|en|valley]] or hollow.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # The [[m|en|bottom]] of a body of water or of a vessel: ''auf den Grund des Sees tauchen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A uniform background: ''weiße Sterne auf blauem Grund''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A [[m|en|reason]], cause or motive: ''aus diesem Grund''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Abgrund]]

+ * [[begründen]]

+ * [[ergründen]]

+ * [[gründen]]

+ * [[Gründer]]

+ * [[Gründerzeit]]

+ * [[Gründung]]

+ * [[Grundlage]]

+ * [[gründlich]]

+ * [[grundlos]]

+ * [[Grundsatz]]

+ * [[Grundstück]]

+ * [[grundieren]]

+ * [[Grundel]]

+ * [[Hintergrund]]

+ * [[Untergrund]]

+ * [[Vordergrund]]

+ * [[Beweggrund]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Grind]]

+ * [[en|ground]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''In Grund und Boden'' means “utterly” (''sich in Grund und Boden schämen''), ''von Grund auf'' “thoroughly”, and ''einer Sache auf den Grund gehen'' “to get to the bottom of something”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}