Zahl German · revision 34944

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /tsaːl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Zahl''' ''f'' (genitive Zahl, plural Zahlen)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|zal]], [[inh|goh|zala]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*talu]], [[inh|gem-pro|*talō|t=speech, reckoning]].^(Kluge 2011|1001)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|tala]], [[non|tala|t=number, speech]] and [[ang|talu|t=tale, account]], whence [[en|tale]], and [[nl|taal|t=language]]; beside it is a neuter, [[non|tal]], [[ang|tæl|t=number]].^(Kluge 2011|1001)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Gothic has the related verb [[m|got|𐍄𐌰𐌻𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=talzjan|t=to teach]] and the adjective [[m|got|𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌰𐌻𐍃|tr=untals|t=unruly, untaught]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|31, 36)

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+ The Grimms' dictionary found no certain related words outside Germanic, and Pfeifer calls the origin unexplained.^(DWB|31, 36)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge, the Duden and Wahrig connect it with [[la|dolō|t=to hew]], from a root meaning “to cut, notch”: a notch would have been the starting sense, since numbers were cut on tally sticks.^(Kluge 2011|1001)^(Duden 7 2020|943)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Others compare [[grc|δόλος|tr=dólos|t=bait, trick]] and [[la|dolus|t=deceit]], from a root [[ine-pro|*del-|t=to aim, reckon]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) Brøndal instead suggested a borrowing from [[la-med|tāliō|t=to cut, notch]], against the same background of tally sticks.^(Kluge 2011|1001) Kroonen compares [[xcl|տող|tr=toł|t=line, row]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''zala'' is recorded from the 8th century, in glosses of about 765, then in the Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|403) It meant “number, amount, series”, but also “narrative, speech, statement, definition, reason”.^(Schützeichel 2012|403)^(Köbler AHD)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German, as in Old English and Old Norse, the word also meant “enumeration, report”.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) This survives in the fixed phrase ''ohne Zahl'' “countless”, while in the related languages the sense of speech won: Dutch ''taal'' is “language” and English ''tale'' a story.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|943) Luther uses it for a sum: ''die zal der ziegel'' (Exodus 5:8).^(Paul 2002)

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+ Its technical use in arithmetic was shaped by Latin ''numerus'': Stieler has ''ungerade Zal'' (odd number), and Adelung uses it for a written figure, as in ''römische, arabische Zahlen''.^(Paul 2002) ''Zahlwort'' “numeral” was coined by Schottelius in 1641 after Latin ''numerale''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The verb ''zahlen'', at first “to count”, took on the sense “to pay” in Early New High German, because the medieval counting board was also used for reckoning money.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|943)

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+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1000 – The verb ''zalōn'' “to count, reckon” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''zahlen'' acquires the sense “to pay”.^(Duden 7 2020|943)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1641 – Schottelius coins ''Zahlwort''.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|number]], a concept of quantity based on the unit one: ''die Zahl Sieben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|figure]] or [[m|en|numeral]], the sign for a number: ''römische Zahlen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An amount, a quantity of persons or things: ''Die Zahl der Gäste war klein.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(grammar)'' [[m|en|grammatical number|alt=Number]], the singular or plural.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # The tails side of a [[m|en|coin]].^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[zahlen]]

+ * [[zahllos]]

+ * [[zahlreich]]

+ * [[Anzahl]]

+ * [[Zahlwort]]

+ * [[Einzahl]]

+ * [[Mehrzahl]]

+ * [[Zahlung]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zählen]]

+ * [[erzählen]]

+ * [[Zoll]]

+ * [[en|tale]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Rote Zahlen schreiben'' means to make a loss and ''schwarze Zahlen schreiben'' to make a profit, after the traditional colours of a balance sheet.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''In großer Zahl'' means “in large numbers”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}