bestehen German · revision 34864

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1000, Notker|origins=ine-pro *steh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈʃteːən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bestehen''' (irregular strong, third-person singular present besteht, past tense bestand, past participle bestanden, past subjunctive bestände or bestünde, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The perfect was formerly also formed with ''sein'', in literature and still in dialect, as in Goethe's ''dieses Mädchen ist sehr wohl bestanden''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bestān]], [[inh|goh|bistān]], formed [[af|goh|bi-|stān]], the Old High German form of [[stehen]].^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2020|818)^(Köbler AHD) Wiktionary sets up [[gem-pro|*bistāną]].^(Wiktionary) The Middle High German variant [[m|gmh|bestēn]] has the vowel of [[m|goh|stēn]], which arose beside [[m|goh|stān]] probably under the influence of [[m|goh|gēn]] beside [[m|goh|gān|t=to go]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The root is [[ine-pro|*steh₂-|t=to stand]] (in Pfeifer [[m|ine-pro|*stā-]]), also in [[la|stō|t=to stand]], [[grc|ἵστημι|tr=hístēmi|t=to set up]], [[sa|तिष्ठति|tr=tíṣṭhati|t=stands]] and [[lt|stoti|alt=stóti|t=to stand up]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bistān'' is recorded in Notker (about 1000) and the glosses, meaning “to remain, persist, exist”.^(Köbler AHD) Middle High German ''bestān'' is common from the 11th century, meaning “to hold out, withstand, remain, persist”, and also “to assist” and “to attack”.^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Early New High German still used it for “to come to a stop”, as when Luther writes that a flow of blood ceased.^(Paul 2002) From “to stay standing” came “to hold one's ground, resist”, as in Luther's ''kein Tier konnte vor ihm bestehen'', which led to ''in einer Prüfung bestehen'' “to pass an examination”.^(Paul 2002) Adelung records around 1800 that liquids were said to ''bestehen'' when they set, as water when it freezes.^(Adelung 1793|1, 928)

+

+ ''Auf etwas bestehen'' “to insist” took the dative, but also the accusative, as both occur in Goethe; the perfect long varied between ''sein'' and ''haben''.^(Paul 2002) The sense later faded to “to exist”, as in ''die bestehenden Gesetze'' and the noun ''hundertjähriges Bestehen'';^(Paul 2002) ''bestehen aus'' “to consist of” may imitate Latin ''constare ex''.^(Paul 2002) [[Bestand]] is recorded from the 15th century, and [[beständig]] goes back to Middle High German ''bestendec''.^(Duden 7 2020|818) In Switzerland the participle ''bestanden'' means “mature, proven”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – Old High German ''bistān'' is used by Notker.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1060–1080 – Middle High German ''bestān'' appears in the Genesis.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 15th century – The noun ''Bestand'' is recorded.^(Duden 7 2020|818)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses it for “to come to a stop” and “to hold one's ground”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1800 – Adelung records the sense “to set, congeal”.^(Adelung 1793|1, 928)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|exist]], to be there: ''zwischen den Ländern besteht ein Abkommen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To last, to [[m|en|endure]]: ''gegen die großen Ketten kann die Bäckerei kaum bestehen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(with aus)'' To [[m|en|consist]] of: ''der Tisch besteht aus Eichenholz''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with in)'' To consist in, to have as its essence: ''ihre Aufgabe besteht im Sortieren''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|pass]] an examination: ''die Fahrprüfung bestehen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal, dated)'' To come through, endure: ''eine Gefahr bestehen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(with auf)'' To [[m|en|insist]] on: ''er bestand auf einer Antwort''.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Bestehen]]

+ * [[Bestand]]

+ * [[beständig]]

+ * [[Beständigkeit]]

+ * [[unbeständig]]

+ * [[fortbestehen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[stehen]]

+ * [[en|stand]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}