sicher German · revision 34955

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 800, Benediktinerregel|origins=la cūra}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzɪçər/, [ˈzɪçɐ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sicher''' (strong nominative masculine singular sicherer, comparative sicherer or sichrer, superlative am sichersten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sicher]], [[inh|goh|sihhur]], [[bor|la|sēcūrus|t=free from care, safe]], probably through a form [[la-vul|*sicūrus]].^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(AWB|8, 613) The Latin adjective is made of [[m|la|sē-|t=without]] and [[m|la|cūra|t=care]], the source of [[Kur]].^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ The word was taken over before the West Germanic languages separated, as [[osx|sikor]], [[ofs|sikur]] and [[ang|sicor]] show;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|7, 1204) Pfeifer asks whether it reached Old English before the Anglo-Saxons left the continent.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|7, 1204) Old Norse did not have it, and [[da|sikker]] came from German.^(DWB|16, 717) The Grimms' dictionary explains the change of the first vowel /e/ to /i/ by the /u/ of the following syllable, and the /k/ was shifted in High German; the Latin stress was kept at first, as Notker's [[m|goh|sichiure]] shows, before it moved to the first syllable.^(DWB|16, 717)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sihhur'' is recorded from about 800 in the Benediktinerregel and then in glosses and Otfrid, meaning “secure, free from fear, unconcerned”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|280)^(EWA) At first it was a word of the law, as in Latin legal texts: “not liable, free from obligation, guilt and punishment”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|16, 717)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the legal sense came “free from harm and danger, protected”, and Middle High German applied it to the mind: “calm, carefree, without doubt”.^(Pfeifer 1993) Luther's ''ich bin sicher / vnd fürchte mich nicht'' (Isaiah 12:2) shows the sense “safe”, which was soon extended to places and goods.^(Paul 2002) The sense “without care” became “without doubt” about something past or coming, “certain”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From the 17th century, and increasingly since the 18th, the word also describes skill and steadiness: ''eine sichere Hand'' (Adelung), a sure judgement, a self-assured manner.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Since the second half of the 20th century ''-sicher'' has formed many compounds such as ''kindersicher'' “childproof”, probably on the model of English ''-proof'' and ''-safe''.^(Duden 7 2020) German ''sicher'' was borrowed into Czech, Slovak and Silesian Polish.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''sihhur'' appears in the Benediktinerregel.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – ''sihhurheit'' and ''sihhurōn'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 11th century – The adverb ''sihhurlīhho'' (now ''sicherlich'') appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1498 – ''sicher'' used as an answer, “certainly”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''versichern'' begins to mean “to insure”, first in sea trade.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 17th–18th century – The sense “skilled, steady” spreads.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|safe|alt=Safe]], [[m|en|secure]], not in danger or not dangerous: ''Im Keller waren die Kinder sicher'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''sicher vor'' “safe from”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|reliable|alt=Reliable]], well founded: ''aus sicherer Quelle'' “from a reliable source”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Steady and skilled through practice: ''ein sicherer Fahrer'', ''eine sichere Hand''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # Self-assured, confident in manner.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # [[m|en|certain|alt=Certain]], sure to happen: ''ein sicherer Erfolg''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Sure, convinced, often with a genitive: ''sich seiner Sache sicher sein'' “to be sure of one's ground”.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|safely|alt=Safely]].^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|surely|alt=Surely]], certainly; also as an answer, “of course”.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Sicherheit]]

+ * [[sicherlich]]

+ * [[sichern]]

+ * [[sichergehen]]

+ * [[sicherstellen]]

+ * [[versichern]]

+ * [[Versicherung]]

+ * [[Sicherung]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Kur]]

+ * [[en|sure]]

+ * [[en|secure]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sicher ist sicher'' “better safe than sorry” is a proverbial saying.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Auf Nummer sicher gehen'' “to play it safe” comes from the game term ''Nummer Sicher''; colloquially ''Nummer Sicher'' also meant prison.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}