Staat German · revision 34978

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=14th century|origins=la stō}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃtaːt/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''Staat''' ''m'' (genitive Staates or Staats, plural Staaten)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|status|t=standing, position, condition, rank]], a noun formed from [[m|la|stō|t=to stand]], borrowed in the 14th century.^(Kluge 2011|873)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|809) Pfeifer finds [[gmh|stat]] “legal condition, equipment” only rarely and uncertainly (one doubtful example may be from the 13th century), but frequent examples from the 14th century on in Hanseatic charters, as [[gml|stāt]] “condition, circumstances, rank, standing, display”.^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary takes the word through Middle Low German from [[dum|staet]], and Kluge explains the striking weak plural in /-en/ by the Dutch model.^(Wiktionary)^(Kluge 2011|873)

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+ The political sense was taken over in the 17th century from [[fr|état]], a word of the same origin, as well as from the modern Dutch word.^(Kluge 2011|873)^(Duden 7 2020|809)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) According to Kluge it grew on one side out of the sense “form of constitution” and on the other out of “the standing of the prince”, then “all those he rules, the territory he rules”.^(Kluge 2011|873) The same Latin word is behind [[nl|staat]], [[en|state]] and [[sv|stat]].^(Kluge 2011|873) The Grimms firmly reject Jahn's derivation from [[stehen]], although the Latin noun does belong to the same root as the German verb.^(DWB|17, 270)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the early records the word meant “standing, rank” and “condition”, especially the state of one's property; the latter gave rise to “display, splendour”.^(Kluge 2011|873) Early New High German, widespread from the 15th century, used it for social standing, rank, way of life, the state of one's fortune, the outlay befitting one's rank, and pomp.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|809)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 16th century the German senses followed the general Latin and Medieval Latin use of ''status'';^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer notes that Latin itself had started towards politics with Cicero's ''status cīvitātis'' and ''status reī pūblicae'', without lasting effect.^(Pfeifer 1993) From the 17th century the word widened with the growth of the European states, partly under the influence of Italian ''stato'' and French ''état'', to take in the territory, the administration, the treasury, the prince's sovereign rights and the representation of power.^(Pfeifer 1993) Paul shows the path through Dutch: the plural first referred to the estates of the Netherlands, hence ''Generalstaaten'', and the general political sense is recorded in Schottelius in 1663; from the French Revolution on it became the basic term for an independent political community.^(Paul 2002)

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+ The old sense “outlay, splendour” lived on beside it and in everyday speech came to mean finery and fine clothes, as in ''sich in Staat werfen'' (18th century), ''Staat machen'' “to dress up” (19th century) and the older ''Staat von etwas machen'' “to make a fuss about something” (around 1700).^(Pfeifer 1993) From the prince's household came [[Hofstaat]], recorded from the end of the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) Russian borrowed the word as [[m|ru|штат|tr=štat]], used for a federal state and for a staff of employees.^(Wiktionary)^(LWP)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – The word is borrowed from Latin, first in Middle Low German charters.^(Kluge 2011|873)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – It is recorded with certainty in High German, in the sense “rank, condition”.^(DWB|17, 270)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 15th century – ''Hofstaat'' “princely household” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1663 – Schottelius uses the word for a political community.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – The political sense becomes established after French ''état''.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Duden 7 2020|809)

+ * Around 1700 – ''Staat von etwas machen'' “to make a fuss of something”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''Staatsbürger'' “citizen” is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 19th century – The adjective ''staatlich'' gets its political sense.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|state]]: the whole of the institutions that secure the ordered life of the people in a territory, and the government and authorities.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|country]], considered as a political unit;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE) ''die Staaten'' (colloquial) are the United States.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A constituent state of a federation;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE) ''(Switzerland)'' a [[m|en|canton]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(zoology)'' An insect [[m|en|colony]], such as that of bees or ants.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(colloquial, dated)'' Festive [[m|en|finery]], best clothes.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' The [[m|en|retinue]] of a high-ranking person.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Display, show: ''Staat machen'' is to make a great show, and ''mit etwas keinen Staat machen können'' to be unable to impress with something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[staatlich]]

+ * [[verstaatlichen]]

+ * [[Staatsangehörigkeit]]

+ * [[Staatsanwalt]]

+ * [[Staatsbürger]]

+ * [[Staatsmann]]

+ * [[Staatsstreich]]

+ * [[Hofstaat]]

+ * [[staatenlos]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Status]]

+ * [[Etat]]

+ * [[stattlich]]

+ * [[Station]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ein Staat im Staate'', a powerful organisation that escapes the state's control and competes with it, is a fixed phrase;^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''von Staats wegen'' means “on the initiative of a state authority”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Paul quotes Schlegel's translation of Hamlet, ''Etwas ist faul im Staate Dänemark''.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}