wirklich German · revision 34969

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1300, Meister Eckhart|origins=ine-pro *werǵ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvɪʁklɪç/, [ˈvɪɐ̯kʰlɪç]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''wirklich''' (strong nominative masculine singular wirklicher, comparative wirklicher, superlative am wirklichsten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|würkelich]], also [[m|gmh|wirkelich]], formed by the mystics from [[wirken]] with the suffix [[-lich]], meaning “acting, done by acting”.^(Kluge 2011|991)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The Grimms record [[m|gmh|würkenlich]] and [[m|gmh|wurklich]] beside these, with vowels matching those of the verb, and [[gml|werklik]] in the north.^(DWB|30, 575)

+

+ The verb [[m|gmh|wirken]] combines two ablaut variants: the zero grade [[gem-pro|*wurkijaną]], as in [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=waurkjan]], [[non|yrkja]], [[ang|wyrcan]] and [[goh|wurken]], and the full grade of [[goh|wirken]].^(Kluge 2011|991)^(Pfeifer 1993) It belongs with [[Werk]], which corresponds to [[grc|ἔργον|tr=érgon|t=work]], to the root [[ine-pro|*werǵ-|t=to work, do]].^(Kluge 2011|983)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kluge dates the word to the 13th century;^(Kluge 2011|991)^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD) Paul and Köbler place the first records in Meister Eckhart, around 1300, in the sense “active, acting”.^(Kluge 2011|991)^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD) Tauler writes that man, made in God's image, should be ''wúrklich'' “striving” towards God.^(DWB|30, 575)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Late Middle High German ''wirkelich'' meant “active, effective, working”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The sense “real, actual”, opposed to what is only thought or apparent, is recorded here and there from the 15th century, as in Paracelsus' ''sichtbar …, greifflich und wircklich''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2007) In contrast with [[wirksam]], which from the 17th century took over the sense “active”, the adjective came generally to mean “real” in the 18th century.^(Kluge 2011|991)^(Paul 2002) Its use as an intensifying adverb, “really, indeed”, also dates from the 15th century.^(Paul 2002)

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+ The old sense survives in titles such as ''Wirklicher Geheimer Rat'', where ''wirklich'' first meant “in office”, as opposed to a merely honorary title.^(DWB|30, 575)^(Adelung 1793) In south-western German it could also mean “present, current”, as in Schiller.^(Paul 2002) Hungarian borrowed the word as [[m|hu|virtigli]] (1877).^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – Meister Eckhart uses ''würkelich'' “active”.^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 15th century – First records of the senses “real” and “really”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2007)

+ * 16th century – ''Wirklichkeit'' takes on its modern sense “reality”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''wirksam'' replaces ''wirklich'' in the sense “active”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – “real” becomes the general sense.^(Kluge 2011|991)

+ * 1877 – Hungarian ''virtigli'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|real]], existing in reality, corresponding to the facts: ''eine wirkliche Begebenheit''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # True, [[m|en|genuine]], in the proper sense of the word: ''ein wirklicher Freund''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|really]], actually, indeed, used for emphasis: ''Das weiß ich wirklich nicht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Wirklichkeit]]

+ * [[verwirklichen]]

+ * [[unwirklich]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wirken]]

+ * [[Werk]]

+ * [[wirksam]]

+ * [[Wirkung]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Wirklich und wahrhaftig'' is an emphatic “truly”, and ''Wirklich?'' expresses surprise.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}