Gast German · revision 34936

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=second half of the 8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *gʰóstis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [ɡast]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Gast''' ''m'' (genitive Gastes or Gasts, plural Gäste, feminine (uncommon) Gästin or Gastin)^(Wiktionary)

+ In the sense “sailor with a particular duty” the plural is ''Gasten''.^(Paul 2002) The feminine ''Gästin'' is recorded since Old High German ''gestin'', but rarely.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gast]], [[inh|goh|gast]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*gasti]], [[inh|gem-pro|*gastiz|t=stranger, guest]].^(Kluge 2011|334)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃|tr=gasts|t=stranger]], [[non|gestr]], [[ang|giest]], [[ofs|jest]] and [[osx|gast]], and today [[nl|gast]], [[sv|gäst]] and [[is|gestur]].^(Kluge 2011|334)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Orel 2003) [[en|guest]] has its initial /g/ from the Old Norse word.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|4, 98)

+

+ It continues [[ine-pro|*gʰóstis|t=stranger]], also found in [[la|hostis|t=stranger, enemy]] and [[cu|гость|tr=gostĭ|t=guest]].^(Kluge 2011|334)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) [[m|la|hospes|t=host, guest-friend]] goes back to a compound “master of the stranger”, like [[m|cu|господь|tr=gospodĭ|t=lord]].^(Kluge 2011|334)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Indo-European word named both the stranger who came in peace and was given shelter and the one who came as an enemy;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Latin kept the hostile sense, Germanic early the friendly one.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Its further origin is unclear: Kluge mentions a connection with [[grc|ξένος|tr=xénos|t=stranger, guest]] and with an Indo-Iranian verb meaning “to eat”, as if the guest were “one who is fed”.^(Kluge 2011|334)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''gast'' is recorded from the second half of the 8th century in glosses, and then in the Benedictine Rule, the confessions, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “stranger, guest, guest-friend, visitor”.^(EWA|4, 98)^(Schützeichel 2012|123) Earlier still, Germanic personal names ending in ''-gastiz'' appear in runic inscriptions, such as ''hlewagastiz'' on the golden horn of Gallehus (about 400).^(EWA|4, 98)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''gast'' could still mean “warrior, enemy warrior” as well as “stranger” and “guest”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Lexer 1872|1, 742) Early New High German also used it for a foreign merchant.^(FWB) The honourable sense of a welcome guest became general only at the end of the Middle Ages, with the growth of towns, trade and inns.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993) Until the 17th century the word could mean simply “warrior, man”, and Schottelius in 1663 notes that a brave man is called ''ein Gast''; from this come the seamen's ''Rudergast'' and ''Signalgast'' (1767).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Many compounds trace the history of hospitality: Old High German ''gasthūs'', ''Gasthof'' (1420), [[Gastfreund]] (Maaler, 1561, for Latin ''hospes''), ''Gastgeber'', which meant “innkeeper” before it meant “host” (from 1711), ''Gastspiel'' (about 1850), [[Gaststätte]] (1909, replacing ''Hotel'' and ''Restauration'') and [[Gastarbeiter]] (1961, replacing ''Fremdarbeiter'').^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) The jocular use of ''Gästin'' dates from the second half of the 20th century.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 400 – The runic name ''hlewagastiz'' on the horn of Gallehus.^(EWA|4, 98)

+ * Second half of the 8th century – Old High German ''gast'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|4, 98)

+ * 8th century – ''gasthūs'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1420 – ''Gasthof'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1561 – Maaler forms ''Gastfreund''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1616 – ''Gastfreundschaft'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''gastieren'' “to entertain guests” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1711 – ''Gastgeber'' is used for a host.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1767 – Seamen's ''Rudergast'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * About 1850 – ''Gastspiel'' appears.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1909 – ''Gaststätte'' is introduced.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1961 – ''Gastarbeiter'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|guest]], a person invited to a meal or a stay: ''zum Geburtstag kommen viele Gäste''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A customer of a restaurant, or a person staying at a hotel: ''ein Gast bestellt Kaffee''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A [[m|en|visitor]] who stays for a time in a place or circle not their own: ''als Gast an einer Sitzung teilnehmen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A visiting [[m|en|performer]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(sports)'' The visiting team or player: ''die Gäste gewannen 2:1''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(chiefly northern Germany, with a pejorative adjective)'' A [[m|en|fellow]]: ''ein komischer Gast''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(nautical; plural Gasten)'' A sailor with a particular duty, as in ''Signalgast''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gästin]]

+ * [[gastieren]]

+ * [[gastlich]]

+ * [[gastfrei]]

+ * [[Gastfreund]]

+ * [[Gastfreundschaft]]

+ * [[gastfreundlich]]

+ * [[Gastgeber]]

+ * [[Gasthaus]]

+ * [[Gasthof]]

+ * [[Gastmahl]]

+ * [[Gastspiel]]

+ * [[Gaststätte]]

+ * [[Gastwirt]]

+ * [[Gastwirtschaft]]

+ * [[Gastarbeiter]]

+ * [[Fahrgast]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Hospital]]

+ * [[Hotel]]

+ * [[en|guest]]

+ * [[la|hostis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Bei jemandem zu Gast sein'' is to be someone's guest, and ''dasitzen wie der steinerne Gast'' is to sit in company without taking part in the talk, after the stone statue that takes revenge in the Spanish legend of Don Juan.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Schiller's line ''Hier wendet sich der Gast mit Grausen'' from ''Der Ring des Polykrates'' became a common quotation.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}