genau German · revision 34965

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=13th century|origins=gem-pro *hnawwaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈnaʊ̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''genau''' (strong nominative masculine singular genauer, comparative genauer, superlative am genauesten or am genausten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|genou|t=narrow, tight; careful]], [[af|gmh|ge-|nou|t2=narrow, tight, careful]], an adjective originally of Middle German.^(Kluge 2011|346)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002) The base adjective, lost in modern German, is [[m|gmh|nouwe]], [[gml|nouwe]] and [[nl|nauw|t=narrow, tight]], continuing [[gem-pro|*hnawwaz|t=tight, narrow; scant, stingy]];^(Kluge 2011|346)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) [[ang|hnēaw|t=niggardly]] and [[non|hnøggr|t=stingy]] show the related sense “stingy”.^(Kluge 2011|346)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ It belongs to a strong verb seen in [[goh|hniuwan|t=to pound, crush]], [[gmh|niuwen]] and [[non|hnøggva|t=to strike, push]], whose form Kluge calls rather unstable.^(Kluge 2011|346)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|6, 995) Outside Germanic, Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary compare [[grc|κνύω|tr=knúō|t=to scratch, rub]] and [[lv|knudēt|t=to itch]], from [[ine-pro|*kneu-]], possibly an extension of [[ine-pro|*ken-|t=to scratch, rub]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) The adjective would then first have meant “pressing, scraping”;^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Wahrig notes that the reason for the change of meaning is unknown.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ The Grimms' dictionary, following Müllenhoff, held instead that this adjective and [[nah]] go back to a single older form, with the adverb [[got|𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰|tr=nēƕa|t=near]].^(DWB|5, 3348)^(Wiktionary DE) The newer dictionaries do not follow this.^(Kluge 2011|346)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle High German ''genou'' is recorded from the 13th century, meaning “careful”, and as an adverb “narrowly, barely”.^(Kluge 2011|346) The Early New High German dictionary gives “exact, thorough, careful, close, near” and also “hardly”.^(FWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until Early New High German, and in some uses into the 18th century, the word meant “near, close”, like [[eng]]: Kramer in 1702 still has ''ein genauer Freund'' “a close friend”, and Adelung records ''genaue Schuhe'' “tight shoes” in Upper German.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793) From this came “exact”, as in Henisch (1616) and Stieler (1691), “careful, thorough” and, unfavourably, “petty” or “thrifty”: in Goethe's Faust Margarete says of her mother ''die Mutter ist gar zu genau''.^(Paul 2002) The sense “narrow, scarce” lives on in the old phrase ''mit genauer Not'' “only just”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ As a reply ''genau!'' “exactly, quite so” has been used colloquially since about 1950, under the influence of English [[m|en|exactly]].^(Paul 2002) Upper Silesian Polish borrowed the word as ''gynał'' “quite, really, precisely”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Middle High German ''genou'' “careful”.^(Kluge 2011|346)

+ * 15th century – ''genau'' in the sense “exactly the same”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – The noun ''Genauigkeit'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1616 – Henisch's dictionary has ''genau'' “exact”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1702 – Kramer still records ''ein genauer Freund'' “a close friend”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * About 1950 – ''genau!'' comes into use as a reply of agreement.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|exact|alt=Exact]], [[m|en|precise]], agreeing in every detail: ''die genaue Zeit''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Thorough, careful, going into detail: ''eine genaue Prüfung''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(regional)'' [[m|en|thrifty|alt=Thrifty]], careful with money.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(dated)'' Close, intimate: ''ein genauer Freund''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Exactly, just: ''es ist genau zwölf Uhr''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Stressing a word: precisely, just that: ''genau das habe ich gemeint''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' As a reply: quite so, [[m|en|exactly]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Genauigkeit]]

+ * [[ungenau]]

+ * [[genauso]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gml|nouwe]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Es mit etwas genau nehmen'' means “to be strict or particular about something”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) ''Genau genommen'' “strictly speaking” is a fixed formula.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}