klein German · revision 34933

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /klaɪ̯n/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''klein''' (strong nominative masculine singular kleiner, comparative kleiner, superlative am kleinsten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|kleine]], [[inh|goh|kleini]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*klainī|t=fine, dainty]].^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|5, 581) The same West Germanic adjective is [[osx|klēni|t=delicate, clever]], [[dum|cleine]] and [[ang|clǣne|t=pure, clean]], and today [[nl|klein]] and [[en|clean]].^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Pfeifer and the EWA reconstruct a stem [[gem-pro|*klainja-]] found only in West Germanic;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|5, 581) the EWA thinks it may continue an older stem [[gem-pro|*klaini-]].^(EWA|5, 581)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Wiktionary) Heidermanns, followed by Kroonen, connects it with the verb seen in [[non|klína|t=to smear]] and [[goh|klenan|t=to smear, stick]], the family of [[Klei]], so that the adjective first meant “finely plastered” or “shining”;^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Kroonen 2013) the Duden dictionaries likewise start from the root [[ine-pro|*glei-|t=to stick, smear]], with an original sense “smeared with fat” or “plastered, polished”, whence “shining, smooth”.^(Duden 7 2020|440)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Pfeifer also allows a link with [[grc|γλαινοί|tr=glainoí|t=ornaments on a helmet]] and a root meaning “to shine”, as did Baader.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|498) Wiktionary notes that a borrowing from a substrate has also been proposed.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Beside the diphthong there is a regional variant with /iː/, as in Swiss German and Low German.^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge finds this hard to explain as ablaut, while Kroonen compares the same alternation in [[nl|droog]] beside [[en|dry]].^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''kleini'' is first recorded in glosses of about 790, and then in Otfrid, Notker and Williram.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|177) Its senses were wide: “fine, delicate, slim, precious”, “clever, cunning, subtle” and “thin, slight, small”, rendering Latin ''subtilis'', ''gracilis'', ''astutus'' and ''parvus''.^(EWA|5, 581)^(Schützeichel 2012|177) Middle High German ''kleine'' still meant “pure, pretty, dainty, fine, clever” as well as “slight, weak”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Kluge and Wahrig date the modern sense, the opposite of [[groß]], only to the period after Middle High German;^(Kluge 2011|498)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Pfeifer traces it from the Middle High German sense “fine, dainty”.^(Pfeifer 1993) It took over from the old word for “little”, Old High German ''luzzil'', Middle High German ''lützel'', which died out in the 16th and 17th centuries and survives in the place name ''Lützelburg'', the older name of Luxembourg.^(Paul 2002) The older sense “fine, precious” lives on in [[Kleinod]].^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Paul records ''meine Kleine'' “my darling” from the 18th century.^(Paul 2002) ''Kleinbürger'' in the sense “philistine” goes back to Börne around 1830, after occasional 18th-century use for a workman, and ''kleinbürgerlich'' to Immermann in 1838.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The intensive [[klitzeklein]] “tiny” came from the Lower Rhine and became common in the early 20th century.^(Paul 2002) English borrowed ''kleindeutsch'' and ''Kleindeutscher'' as political terms.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 790 – Old High German ''kleini'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 16th–17th century – The synonym ''lützel'' “little” dies out, leaving ''klein'' as the opposite of ''groß''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''meine Kleine'' “my darling” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1830 – Börne uses ''Kleinbürger'' for a narrow-minded philistine.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1838 – Immermann uses ''kleinbürgerlich''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1892 – ''Kleinbahn'' (narrow-gauge railway) becomes an official term.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1916 – English records ''Kleindeutscher'', a supporter of a Germany without Austria.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|small|alt=Small]], [[m|en|little]]: below the average or a comparison in size or extent: ''eine kleine Küche''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Young, not grown up: ''ihr kleiner Bruder''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Small in number, amount or duration: ''eine kleine Pause''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Slight, [[m|en|insignificant]]; of people, of humble means or influence.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Written in [[m|en|lowercase]] letters.^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Kleinigkeit]]

+ * [[kleinlich]]

+ * [[Kleinheit]]

+ * [[verkleinern]]

+ * [[zerkleinern]]

+ * [[Kleinod]]

+ * [[kleinlaut]]

+ * [[kleinmütig]]

+ * [[Kleinbürger]]

+ * [[kleinbürgerlich]]

+ * [[Kleinstadt]]

+ * [[Kleinstaat]]

+ * [[Kleingeld]]

+ * [[Kleinkind]]

+ * [[klitzeklein]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Klei]]

+ * [[en|clean]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before ''wenig'' and ''bisschen'' the adjective can stay uninflected: ''ein klein wenig''.^(Paul 2002) ''Von klein auf'' “from childhood” is formed like ''von Kind auf'', and ''kurz und klein schlagen'' is to smash to pieces.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}