verschieden German · revision 34952

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1691, Stieler}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fɛɐ̯ˈʃiːdn̩/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''verschieden''' (strong nominative masculine singular verschiedener, comparative verschiedener or verschiedner, superlative am verschiedensten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[verscheiden]], used as an adjective.^(Kluge 2011|956)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) In the sense “dead” it is the participle of the verb in its surviving sense “to die”, literally “to go away”; in the sense “different” it belongs to the older, wider sense “to go away, separate oneself”, so that it first meant “separated”.^(Kluge 2011|956)^(Pfeifer 1993) The verb is [[gmh|verscheiden|t=to go away, vanish, die]], formed from [[scheiden]].^(Duden 7 2020)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ Adelung explains it as the participle of an old transitive use of the verb, “to separate, divide”, still used in Low German for settling disputing parties;^(Adelung 1793)^(Paul 2002) Paul agrees.^(Adelung 1793)^(Paul 2002) The Grimms' dictionary notes that the older participle had the vowel of the infinitive and that the adjective cannot be found in the Middle Ages or in older New High German.^(DWB|25, 1074)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kaspar Stieler is the first to list the adjective, in 1691, still explaining it from the verb ''verscheiden'': ''verschiedene leute'' “different people”, ''verschiedene sachen'' “various things”.^(DWB|25, 1074)^(Paul 2002) Pfeifer and the Duden date both the sense “different” and the plural sense “several” to the second half of the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “unlike, different”, plural use led to “some, several”, so that the word came close to an indefinite pronoun.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Kramer in 1719 and Steinbach in 1725 list it.^(DWB|25, 1074) From then on it is regular in the dictionaries.^(DWB|25, 1074) Adelung recorded both uses around 1800 and noted that in the sense “several” it had no singular.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ The sense “deceased”, from ''verscheiden'' “to die”, is found from the 18th century and is now dated.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The adverb ''verschiedentlich'' meant “in different ways” in Klopstock and Lessing, but now means “on several occasions”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1691 – Stieler records ''verschieden'' “different”.^(DWB|25, 1074)^(Paul 2002)

+ * Second half of the 17th century – The plural sense “several” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1719 – Kramer's dictionary lists it.^(DWB|25, 1074)

+ * 18th century – The sense “deceased” and ''Verschiedenheit'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|different|alt=Different]], unlike: ''verschiedener Meinung sein'' “to disagree”;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''verschieden von'' “different from”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In the plural: [[m|en|several|alt=Several]], [[m|en|various]]: ''verschiedene Gäste''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # As a noun, ''Verschiedenes'': various things, miscellany.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' [[m|en|deceased|alt=Deceased]].^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Differently, in different ways.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Verschiedenheit]]

+ * [[verschiedentlich]]

+ * [[Verschiedenes]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[scheiden]]

+ * [[Unterschied]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}