gerade German · revision 35006

+ {{homograph|1|even (of a number)}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000, Notker}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈraːdə/, /ˈɡra(ː)d(ə)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gerade''' (strong nominative masculine singular gerader, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective for numbers is [[inh|gmh|gerat]], [[inh|goh|girad|t=even (of numbers)]].^(Kluge 2011|349)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) It belongs with [[got|𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐍉|tr=raþjō|t=number, account]] and [[m|got|𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=garaþjan|t=to count]], and so with the family of [[Rede]].^(Kluge 2011|349)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|331) Kluge points out that it cannot correspond exactly to the Gothic noun, because the German forms show no umlaut, and suggests a formation such as [[gem-pro|*ga-raþa-|t=whose number is equal]].^(Kluge 2011|349) Kluge compares the noun [[m|gem-pro|*raþjōn]] behind Rede with [[la|ratiō]] and traces it to [[ine-pro|*arə-|t=to fit together]].^(Kluge 2011|752)

+

+ In speakers' minds the word has merged with the adjective meaning “straight”, which has a separate origin.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|331)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''gerad'' translates Latin ''pār'' “equal” from the beginning of its record, in Notker around 1000.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) Notker's Aristotle has ''par et impar i. kerad unde ungerad''.^(DWB|5, 3542) Middle High German ''gerat'', ''gerade'' meant “consisting of two equal numbers”.^(FWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In ''Tristan'' a company counted ''ein und ein'' is a ''gerade schar'', which one more person would make uneven.^(DWB|5, 3542) The word became a term of arithmetic at the end of the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) A children's game of guessing whether a number of nuts or pebbles held in the hand was even or odd, ''gerad oder ungerad'', is mentioned in the ''Renner'' and by Luther.^(DWB|5, 3542)

+

+ The phrase ''fünf gerade sein lassen'', literally “to let five be even”, means “not to be too strict”, and dates from the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 3542) Variants such as ''siebene grad sein lassen'' in Grimmelshausen are also recorded.^(DWB|5, 3542)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – Old High German ''gerad'' and ''ungerad'' translate Latin ''pār'' and ''impār'' in Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * End of the 15th century – The word becomes a mathematical term.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''fünf gerade sein lassen'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(mathematics)'' [[m|en|even]], divisible by two without remainder: ''gerade Hausnummern''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ungerade]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|straight; just, now}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *hradaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈraːdə/, /ˈɡra(ː)d(ə)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gerade''' (strong nominative masculine singular gerader, comparative gerader, superlative am geradesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective meaning “straight” is [[inh|gmh|gerade|t=quick, nimble; tall, slender]], [[inh|goh|girādi|t=quick]], a form with the prefix [[m|goh|gi-]] beside [[goh|rad|t=quick]] and the adverb [[m|goh|rado|t=quickly]].^(Kluge 2011|349)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) The same simple adjective is [[gml|rāt]], [[dum|gherat]], [[nl|rad]], [[ang|hræd]] and [[non|hraðr|t=quick]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 3552)

+

+ Its further origin is disputed.^(Kluge 2011|746)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge thinks that two Germanic adjectives have merged: one without /h/, seen in [[ang|rǣde]] and the Gothic comparative meaning “easier”, which he connects with [[sga|reithid|t=runs]] and so with [[Rad]]; and one with /h/, [[gem-pro|*hradaz]], compared with [[lt|apikratai|t=quickly]] from [[m|lt|krė̃sti|t=to shake]].^(Kluge 2011|746) Pfeifer takes the /h/ of the Old High German, Old English and Old Norse forms as proof of a root [[ine-pro|*kret-|t=to shake, move quickly]], also found in [[lt|kretė́ti|t=to tremble]] and [[mga|crothaim|t=I shake]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The Duden instead connects the adjective with the root [[ine-pro|*ret(h)-|t=to roll, run]] of Rad.^(Duden 7 2014|331)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''giradi'' “quick” is recorded in glosses before the end of the 8th century, and the adverb ''rado'' “quickly” in the 8th century.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge's 24th edition dates the word to the 8th century, the 25th to the 10th.^(Kluge 2002)^(Kluge 2011|349) Middle High German ''gerat'', ''gerade'' meant “quick to hand, nimble” and, in Central German, “freshly grown, tall”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The modern sense, the opposite of [[krumm]], grew out of the sense “tall, grown straight up”, first recorded in the 14th century, which led to “perpendicular” and then “straight”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|349)^(Paul 2002) Kluge thinks that the number word may have helped.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|349)^(Paul 2002) In Early New High German the word often described people as tall and well built, but also still as nimble: a ''gerader gesell'' was a tall young fellow, a ''gerad pferdt'' a fast horse.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 3552) The old sense “quickly” survives as an adverb in Low German dialects.^(DWB|5, 3552)

+

+ Figurative uses followed: “honest, open” from the 16th century, as in Luther's ''mit einer deutlichen und geraden antwort'';^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) “direct”, as in ''gerade gegenüber''; and the adverb “exactly, just”, which began with movement going straight in a direction (''er traf gerad das Hertz'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) With a negative it softens a statement (''nicht gerade viel''), and ''nun gerade'' expresses defiance, especially of children.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden Universal 2007) The temporal sense “just now” is recorded by Kramer around 1700.^(Paul 2002)

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+ The noun ''Gerade'' “straight line” comes from ''gerade Linie'' (15th century), like Italian ''retta'' in Galilei (1638); Pfeifer dates its use in geometry to the beginning of the 18th century, while the Grimms think it was probably introduced by Jakob Steiner in 1832 and the Duden dates it to the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 3554)^(Duden 7 2014|331) In sport it names a straight stretch of a track from the early 20th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''giradi'' “quick” and ''rado'' “quickly” are recorded.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – First record of the sense “tall, grown straight”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''gerade Linie'' “straight line” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The sense “honest, upright” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1832 – Jakob Steiner uses ''die Gerade'' for a straight line in geometry.^(DWB|5, 3554)

+ * 1892 – Genthe records ''nun gerade (nicht)!'' as a phrase of defiance.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Early 20th century – ''Gerade'' is used for a straight part of a racetrack.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|straight]], not bent or curved: ''eine gerade Straße''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|upright]], not crooked or sloping; level: ''Das Regal steht nicht gerade.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Adelung 1793)

+ # Of a person: honest, [[m|en|straightforward]].^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+ # Exact, direct: ''das gerade Gegenteil'' “the exact opposite”.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|just]] now, at this moment: ''Sie schreibt gerade einen Brief.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A moment ago: ''Er ist gerade gegangen.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Quickly, for a moment: ''Hilf mir mal gerade!''^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # Directly: ''gerade gegenüber''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+ # Only just, [[m|en|barely]]: ''Wir haben den Bus gerade noch erreicht.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' All the more, out of defiance: ''Jetzt gerade!''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Particle===

+ # Exactly, precisely, especially: ''Gerade diese Frage hat mich beschäftigt.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of all (people, times), expressing annoyance: ''Warum gerade heute?''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With a negative, softening the statement: ''nicht gerade billig''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gerade]]

+ * [[geradeaus]]

+ * [[geradezu]]

+ * [[geradeheraus]]

+ * [[geradewegs]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Rede]]

+ * [[rasch]]

+ * [[Rad]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Colloquially the word is shortened to ''grade'' or ''grad''.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden Universal 2007) Older German also had a noun ''Gerade'' in law, the movable property of a woman (clothes, jewellery, household goods) that passed to her female heirs, as in the Sachsenspiegel.^(DWB|5, 3554)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}