nehmen German · revision 34892

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈneːmən/, [-mən]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany: [-mː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland: /ˈneːmɛn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nehmen''' (class 4 strong, third-person singular present nimmt, past tense nahm, past participle genommen, past subjunctive nähme, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Middle High German infinitive ''nemen'' lasted until the end of the 17th century.^(DWB|13, 521) From the 14th century, Alemannic texts wrote ''nemmen'' to mark the short vowel, while from the 16th century the lengthened vowel was marked with ''h'', giving ''nehmen''.^(DWB|13, 521) The forms ''nimmst'', ''nimmt'', ''nimm'' and ''genommen'' kept the short vowel.^(DWB|13, 521)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|nëmen|alt=nemen]], [[inh|goh|neman]], [[inh|gem-pro|*nemaną|t=to take]], a strong verb.^(Kluge 2011|651)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽|tr=niman]], [[osx|niman]], [[non|nema]], [[ang|niman]] and [[ofs|nima]], and today [[nl|nemen]] and the dated English [[m|en|nim]].^(Kluge 2011|651)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Pfeifer and the Duden trace it to the root [[ine-pro|*nem-|t=to allot]], in the middle voice “to allot to oneself, take”, which is also behind [[grc|νέμω|tr=némō|t=to distribute, allot; to possess]], [[ae|nəmah-|t=loan]] and [[la|numerus|t=number]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Kluge is more cautious: the Greek and Avestan words match the sounds exactly but mean “give, allot”, and how they connect with the Germanic verb is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|651) He also mentions a family meaning “take, buy”, with [[m|la|emō|t=to take, buy]] and [[lt|imti|alt=im̃ti|t=to take]], which could at most be a rhyming variant.^(Kluge 2011|651) Paul considers the relationship with the Greek, Latin and Latvian words unexplained.^(Paul 2002) Kroonen follows a proposal that derives the verb from [[m|ine-pro|*h₁em-|t=to take, distribute]], with the initial /n/ taken over from the prefix [[gem-pro|*ga-]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''neman'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then throughout the Old High German texts, among them Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|6, 875) It meant “to take, seize, grasp”, “to take away, remove, rob” and “to receive, accept”.^(Schützeichel 2012|235)^(EWA|6, 875) Phrases such as ''gouma neman'' “to pay attention, observe” were already common.^(EWA|6, 875)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul takes “to grasp” as the original sense: Middle High German could ask ''wa namet ir daz?'' for “where did you get that?”.^(Paul 2002) The verb is often set against [[geben]], as in Luther's rendering of Acts, ''Geben ist seliger den nemen'' (“it is more blessed to give than to receive”), and so it was often coloured by the idea of greed.^(Paul 2002) The sense “to use” (of an ingredient) gave the recipe formula ''man nehme''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The old abstract noun [[goh|nāma|t=seizure]] survives only in compounds such as [[Abnahme]], [[Annahme]] and [[Aufnahme]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Reflexive [[benehmen]] “to behave” is recorded from the 18th century, and [[benommen]] “dazed” originally meant “taken away, hindered”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) [[Unternehmer]] (late 17th century) was modelled on French ''entrepreneur'' and English ''undertaker''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) [[Vernunft]] “reason” is formed from [[vernehmen]] “to perceive”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1331 – The Alemannic spelling ''nemmen'' appears in a Freiburg document.^(DWB|13, 521)

+ * 16th century – The spelling ''nehmen'' with ''h'' comes into use.^(DWB|13, 521)

+ * Early 17th century – ''Unternehmen'' “undertaking” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 17th century – The old infinitive ''nemen'' goes out of use.^(DWB|13, 521)

+ * 18th century – Reflexive ''sich benehmen'' “to behave” comes into use.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To take hold of with the hand, [[m|en|grasp]]: ''Sie nahm ihre Tasche und ging.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To take into one's possession; in chess, to [[m|en|capture]] a piece.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To accept something offered: ''Er nimmt kein Trinkgeld.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To take away, [[m|en|deprive]] someone of something: ''Der Baum nimmt uns die Aussicht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To use for a purpose: ''Für den Kuchen nehme ich Butter.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To put somewhere, or to take out of or off something: ''das Kind auf den Arm nehmen'', ''die Teller aus dem Schrank nehmen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To make use of a service or means of transport: ''ein Taxi nehmen'', ''sich einen Anwalt nehmen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To take medicine, to [[m|en|ingest]]: ''Tabletten nehmen''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # To take something in a certain way: ''etwas ernst nehmen''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' To [[m|en|foul]] a player.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[annehmen]]

+ * [[Annahme]]

+ * [[abnehmen]]

+ * [[Abnahme]]

+ * [[aufnehmen]]

+ * [[Aufnahme]]

+ * [[Entnahme]]

+ * [[benehmen]]

+ * [[Benehmen]]

+ * [[benommen]]

+ * [[genehm]]

+ * [[unternehmen]]

+ * [[Unternehmer]]

+ * [[vernehmen]]

+ * [[Vernunft]]

+ * [[vornehm]]

+ * [[teilnehmen]]

+ * [[wahrnehmen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Nomade]]

+ * [[Nummer]]

+ * [[en|nim]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Hart im Nehmen sein'' is to be able to take hard knocks.^(Paul 2002) The saying ''Woher nehmen und nicht stehlen?'' (“where to get it without stealing?”) is used when something is impossible to come by,^(Duden GWDS 1999) and colloquially a grasping person is said to be ''vom Stamme Nimm'' “of the tribe of Take”, after the imperative.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}