schließlich German · revision 34991

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=16th century|origins=gmw-pro *sleutan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʃliːslɪç/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''schließlich'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Early New High German also had the adverbs ''schließlichen'' and ''schließentlich'', and the spelling ''schlüßlich'' after ''Schluß''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer dates the adjective to the 16th century and the adverb ''schließlich'' to the 17th.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|de|schließen|-lich]], formed in Early New High German.^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The verb goes back to [[gmh|sliezen]], [[goh|sliozan]] and [[gmw-pro|*sleutan|t=to bolt, lock]], which is found only in German, Dutch and Frisian: [[gml|slūten]], [[nl|sluiten]], [[ofs|slūta]].^(Kluge 2011|811)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Kluge compares [[la|claudō|t=to close]], [[m|la|clāvis|t=key]] and [[grc|κλείς|tr=kleís|t=bar, key]], so that the original sense would be “to put a bolt in”.^(Kluge 2011|811) Pfeifer reconstructs [[ine-pro|*skleud-]], with a root [[ine-pro|*klēu-|t=hook, peg]].^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen, however, leaves the origin open, and the Duden dictionary calls it not securely explained.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Luther already used the word, meaning “final, conclusive” and “logically consistent”; a Low German ''slieslich'' is recorded in 1522, and Henisch's dictionary has it in 1616.^(Paul 2002) It was at first both an adjective and an adverb.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “final, conclusive” comes from ''schließen'' “to conclude”, and the attributive use is still recorded by Stieler in 1691 and by Goethe in 1811, ''die schließliche Redaktion des Manuskripts'' “the final editing of the manuscript”.^(Paul 2002) Adelung, around 1800, described the adjective as Upper German, as in ''ohne schließlichen Bescheid'' “without a final answer”.^(Adelung 1793) The sense “logically consistent” comes from ''schließen'' “to infer”, used since the 16th century.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ Since what follows logically can be expected, the word became a modal particle meaning “after all”, probably in the 19th century, as in Fontane and Thomas Mann.^(Paul 2002) It often closes a list (''drittens und schließlich''), and Schiller's ''endlich und schließlich'' is now usually said the other way round.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 16th century – Luther uses the word for “final” and “logically consistent”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1522 – Low German ''slieslich'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1616 – Henisch's dictionary lists ''schließlich''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1691 – Stieler records the attributive use.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – Probable rise of the particle “after all”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|finally]], in the end, [[m|en|eventually]], after a long wait or delay: ''Nach langem Zögern sagte sie schließlich zu.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Introduces the last item of a list, often with ''und'': ''ein Bahnhof, zwei Kirchen und schließlich der Hafen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # [[m|en|after all]]: gives a reason the speaker considers sufficient and obvious: ''Ich helfe ihm, er ist schließlich mein Bruder.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[schließen]]

+ * [[Schluss]]

+ * [[Schloss]]

+ * [[Schlüssel]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Schließlich und endlich'' is a colloquial reinforcement of the first sense.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) An attributive use (''das schließliche Scheitern'') is rare.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}