eigen German · revision 34921

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *h₂eyḱ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈaɪ̯ɡən/, [ˈʔaɪ̯ɡən], /ˈaɪ̯ɡɛn/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany: [ˈʔaɪ̯ɡŋ̍]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland: [ˈaɛ̯-]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''eigen''' (strong nominative masculine singular eigener or eigner, comparative (rare) eigener or eigner, superlative (rare) am eigensten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|eigen]], [[inh|goh|eigan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*aigan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*aiganaz|t=own]], originally the past participle of the preterite-present verb [[gem-pro|*aiganą|t=to possess]] (“he possesses” [[m|gem-pro|*aih]]).^(Kluge 2011|232)^(Wiktionary) The participle is also [[non|eiginn]], [[ang|āgen]], [[ofs|ēin]] and [[osx|ēgan]], and today [[nl|eigen]], [[en|own]] and [[sv|egen]].^(Kluge 2011|232)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The verb itself is [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=aigan]], [[m|non|eiga]], [[m|ang|āgan]] and [[m|goh|eigan|t=to have, possess]]; it died out in German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Schützeichel 2012|84)

+

+ The verb corresponds to [[sa|ईशे|tr=ī́śe|t=owns, rules]], which Kluge and Pfeifer take as a remodelled old perfect, and Pfeifer adds [[ae|aēšā-|t=property]] and [[txb|aik-|t=to know]].^(Kluge 2011|232)^(Pfeifer 1993) The root is [[ine-pro|*h₂eyḱ-|t=to possess]].^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same Germanic verb is behind [[Fracht]].^(Kluge 2011|232)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Old High German adjective ''eigan'' is first recorded at the end of the 8th century, in glosses and the Monsee Fragments, meaning “own, belonging to”, “characteristic” and “special”;^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|84) ''eigine gibūra'' were bondsmen.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|84) The noun ''eigan'' “property” appears in the Muspilli, Otfrid and Notker.^(Schützeichel 2012|84)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an old participle the word meant “possessed”, and older German used it of unfree people: ''eigene Leute'' were serfs, a sense now kept only in [[leibeigen]].^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Usually it marks something as belonging to a particular person and no other.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020) From there it came to mean “typical of” and then “peculiar, strange”.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Grimms show an adverbial use “exactly, really” in the 17th century (Opitz, Logau).^(DWB|3, 95)

+

+ The neuter noun [[Eigen]] “property, land held outright” stood in old law beside ''Erbe'' and against ''Lehen'' (land held in fief).^(DWB|3, 96) It survives in ''sich etwas zu eigen machen'' and ''etwas sein Eigen nennen'', where it is now felt as the adjective.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Many derivatives grew from the different senses: [[eigentlich]] “really” (from Middle High German ''eigenlich'' “own, expressly”), [[Eigenschaft]], [[Eigentum]] and [[Eigenbrötler]], first in Alemannic a bachelor who kept his own household, literally “one who bakes his own bread”.^(Pfeifer 1993) The superlative became common in the second half of the 18th century as a means of emphasis.^(DWB2|7, 370)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''eigan'' “own” appears in glosses and the Monsee Fragments.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – The noun ''eigan'' “property” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''eigens'' “specially” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 2nd half of the 18th century – The superlative comes into use for emphasis;^(DWB2|7, 370) Lessing still notes it as unusual in Wieland.^(DWB2|7, 370)

+ * Early 19th century – ''Eigenbrötler'' “eccentric” appears in literary German.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Belonging to oneself, one's [[m|en|own]]; often only strengthening a possessive: ''mit eigenen Augen'', ''ein eigenes Bad''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Belonging to a person or thing and typical of it, [[m|en|characteristic]]: ''mit dem ihr eigenen Humor''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(dated)'' [[m|en|strange]], odd: ''Mir war ganz eigen zumute.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ # ''(regional)'' Particular, [[m|en|fussy]] about something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Eigen]]

+ * [[eigens]]

+ * [[eigentlich]]

+ * [[Eigenheit]]

+ * [[Eigenschaft]]

+ * [[Eigentum]]

+ * [[eigentümlich]]

+ * [[Eigenbrötler]]

+ * [[eignen]]

+ * [[leibeigen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Fracht]]

+ * [[en|own]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}