gelten German · revision 34863

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡɛltn̩/, /ˈɡɛltən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gelten''' (class 3 strong, third-person singular present gilt, past tense galt, past participle gegolten, past subjunctive gälte or gölte, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 17th century the past subjunctive was often ''gülte'';^(Paul 2002) ''gölte'' and ''gälte'' replaced it.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gelten]], [[inh|goh|geltan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*geldan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*geldaną|t=to pay, render]].^(Kluge 2011|344)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[got|𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽|tr=fragildan|t=to repay]] and [[m|got|𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽|tr=usgildan]], [[non|gjalda]], [[ang|gieldan]], [[ofs|jelda]] and [[osx|geldan]], and today [[nl|gelden]], [[sv|gälla]] and [[en|yield]].^(Kluge 2011|344)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|4, 152)

+

+ Outside Germanic the closest match is [[cu|жлѣсти|tr=žlěsti|t=to pay back, requite]], but Kluge and the Duden note that the Slavic verb may be an early borrowing from Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|344)^(Duden 7 2020|312) If it is not, the sources reconstruct a root [[ine-pro|*gʰeldʰ-]] found only in Germanic and Slavic, perhaps also in [[sga|gell|t=pledge]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Köbler AHD) Pfeifer calls it a root that cannot be traced further, and the Duden calls its further origin unclear.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|312) Kroonen rejects a comparison with [[grc|τέλθος|tr=télthos|t=debt]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The Germanic verb first referred to offerings and, in law, to the payment of fines and dues.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|312)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The nouns [[Geld]] and [[Gilde]] belong to the same group.^(Kluge 2011|344)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''geltan'' appears from the 8th century in glosses and in the Weißenburg catechism, Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “to pay, give, repay, compensate”, “to atone for” and “to offer as a sacrifice”.^(EWA|4, 152)^(Schützeichel 2012|125)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul describes the oldest use as “to pay, render”, then any return, good or bad, as in Middle High German ''ich muoz dise ere tiure gelten'' “I must pay dearly for this honour”; in this sense the verb was later replaced by [[vergelten]].^(Paul 2002) In Middle High German and Early New High German the thing paid for could be the subject: an estate “yielded” so many guilders a year, and goods “fetched” a price, which gave the sense “to cost, be worth”.^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872|1, 827) Kluge traces the modern meaning from “to be worth” to “to be valid”.^(Kluge 2011|344)

+

+ From value the verb passed to esteem (''viel gelten'' “to count for much”) and to being regarded as something, with ''als'' or ''für''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The impersonal ''es gilt'' marked the decisive moment, and it was also used in bets and contracts.^(FWB)^(Paul 2002) The southern and central German tag question [[gelt]] “isn't it?” is its old present subjunctive, perhaps first used to confirm a wager or a bargain.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|312) The verb was borrowed into the Polish of Teschen as ''gieltować'' “to be worth, be of use” (1856).^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''geltan'' appears in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|344)^(EWA|4, 152)

+ * c. 800 – ''firgeltan'', the source of ''vergelten'', is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 9th century – ''intgeltan'', the source of ''entgelten'', is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – The noun ''Entgelt'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|312)

+ * c. 1500 – ''unentgeltlich'' “free of charge” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The past subjunctive ''gülte'' goes out of use.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1856 – Teschen Polish ''gieltować'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be [[m|en|valid]], be in force: ''der Ausweis gilt noch ein Jahr''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be worth: ''diese Währung gilt wenig''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be regarded as, pass for (with ''als'' or ''für''): ''er gilt als zuverlässig''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be meant for, be aimed at (with the dative): ''der Applaus galt der Sängerin''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' To be concerned with: ''ihre Sorge galt den Kindern''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(impersonal)'' ''es gilt'': it is necessary, it is a matter of: ''jetzt gilt es, ruhig zu bleiben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''gelten lassen'': to [[m|en|accept]], allow: ''einen Einwand gelten lassen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[entgelten]]

+ * [[Entgelt]]

+ * [[unentgeltlich]]

+ * [[vergelten]]

+ * [[Vergeltung]]

+ * [[geltend]]

+ * [[Geltung]]

+ * [[gelt]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gültig]]

+ * [[Geld]]

+ * [[Gilde]]

+ * [[en|yield]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}