gleich German · revision 34895

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡlaɪ̯ç/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gleich''' (strong nominative masculine singular gleicher, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gelīch]], [[inh|goh|gilīh]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*galīk]], [[inh|gem-pro|*galīkaz]], a compound of the prefix [[m|gem-pro|*ga-|t=together]] ([[ge-]]) and [[m|gem-pro|*līką|t=body, shape]], the word behind [[Leiche]], so that it first meant “having the same body or shape”.^(Kluge 2011|362)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)^(DWB|7, 7936) The Grimms' dictionary points to Ephesians 3:6 in the Gothic Bible, where the plural renders Greek “of the same body”.^(DWB|7, 7936) The same word is [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃|tr=galeiks]], [[non|glíkr]], [[ang|gelīc]], [[osx|gilīk]] and [[ofs|līk]], and today [[nl|gelijk]], [[en|like]] and [[sv|lik]].^(Kluge 2011|362)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Kluge notes that the analysis is less simple than it looks, because similar formations on pronominal stems point to a suffix in /l/ rather than to the noun for “shape”.^(Kluge 2011|362) Pfeifer and the Grimms' dictionary connect [[lt|lýgus|t=equal, alike]] and its Baltic relatives and set up a root meaning “shape, alike”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|7, 7936) Kluge prefers to keep the Baltic group apart, deriving it from a sense “level, smooth”.^(Kluge 2011|362)

+

+ The adverbial sense “at once” developed in German from the use of the word for correspondence in place and time.^(Duden 7 2007)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''gilīh'' is first recorded in glosses of 765, and the adverb ''gilīhho'' before the end of the 8th century.^(Köbler AHD) It occurs in Isidor, the ''Muspilli'', the ''Ludwigslied'', Otfrid and Notker, meaning “like, equal, equivalent, corresponding”; with a genitive plural it could also mean “each, every”.^(Schützeichel 2012|200)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''gelīch'' also meant “straight, level” and “fair, reasonable”.^(Köbler MHD) Luther still writes ''was recht und gleich ist'' “what is just and fair” (Colossians 4:1), and Adelung records ''gleich'' for “straight” in everyday speech.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793) The adverb “at once, immediately” is a German development, reinforced in [[sogleich]].^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ Several derivatives renamed concepts of Latin learning: ''Tagundnachtgleiche'' (17th century) translates ''aequinoctium'', and ''Gleichung'' replaced ''Vergleichung'' for the mathematical “equation” (Latin ''aequatio'') at the end of the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Gleichgewicht'' “balance” is dated to the 16th century by Pfeifer and to the 17th by the Duden, which calls it a loan translation of Latin ''aequilibrium''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014) The verb ''gleichen'' “to resemble” became strong in the 16th and 17th centuries, probably on the model of ''bleichen'' and ''schleichen'', and the strong forms prevailed in the 18th;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014) ''begleichen'' “to settle (a bill)” was coined at the end of the 19th century to replace ''saldieren''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014)

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+ English borrowed ''Gleichschaltung'' in 1933, and Slovene took ''glih'' “equal, just”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * Late 8th century – The adverb ''gilīhho'' is recorded.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 16th century – ''Gleichgewicht'' is recorded, according to Pfeifer.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th–17th centuries – The verb ''gleichen'' takes strong forms.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''Tagundnachtgleiche'' translates Latin ''aequinoctium''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 17th century – ''Gleichung'' becomes the mathematical term.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Late 19th century – ''begleichen'' replaces ''saldieren'' in commercial language.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1933 – ''Gleichschaltung'' is borrowed into English.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Identical in every respect, the [[m|en|same]]: ''mit gleicher Post''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Alike in certain features, [[m|en|similar]]: ''Die Schwestern haben die gleiche Stimme.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' [[m|en|equal]]: ''drei plus vier gleich sieben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # All the same, no matter: ''gleich, wer gewinnt''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # At once, in a moment, [[m|en|immediately]]: ''Ich bin gleich fertig.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Right, directly next to: ''gleich neben der Kirche''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(usually with a number)'' Surprisingly, at one go: ''Er kaufte gleich drei Hemden.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Particle===

+ # ''(unstressed, in questions)'' Again, trying to recall something: ''Wie hieß ihr Mann gleich?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(stressed)'' Expresses resignation or annoyance: ''Dann können wir es gleich lassen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(elevated, with the dative)'' [[m|en|like]]: ''gleich einem Pfeil''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gleichen]]

+ * [[Gleichheit]]

+ * [[gleichsam]]

+ * [[Gleichung]]

+ * [[Gleichnis]]

+ * [[Gleichgewicht]]

+ * [[gleichgültig]]

+ * [[gleichwohl]]

+ * [[gleichzeitig]]

+ * [[gleichfalls]]

+ * [[gleichermaßen]]

+ * [[obgleich]]

+ * [[sogleich]]

+ * [[zugleich]]

+ * [[ungleich]]

+ * [[vergleichen]]

+ * [[Vergleich]]

+ * [[begleichen]]

+ * [[angleichen]]

+ * [[Ausgleich]]

+ * [[Tagundnachtgleiche]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Leiche]]

+ * [[-lich]]

+ * [[en|like]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A regional noun ''das Gleich'' “joint”, beside ''Geleich'', was used in Upper German, with ''Gleiche'' for gout; the Grimms' dictionary also records a rare adjective ''gleich'' “supple”.^(Adelung 1793)^(DWB|7, 8014)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}