Beispiel German · revision 35007

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=12th century|origins=gem-pro *spellą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbaɪ̯ʃpiːl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Beispiel''' ''n'' (genitive Beispieles or Beispiels, plural Beispiele)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle High German had ''bīspel''; the spelling with ''-spiel'' appears in late Middle High German, and Luther already wrote ''beispiel'', while Dasypodius, Maaler and Henisch wrote ''beispil''.^(Kluge 2011|106)^(DWB|1, 1394) Early New High German also had a rare ''beispild''.^(FWB)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bīspel|t=instructive story, parable, proverb]], [[inh|goh|bīspel]], a compound [[af|goh|bī|spel|t2=story, speech]].^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wiktionary) The same West Germanic compound is [[odt|bīspil|t=parable, saying]], [[gml|bīspēl]], [[dum|bispel]] and [[ang|bīspell]].^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 814) It meant literally “what is told beside”.^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ The second part is [[gem-pro|*spellą|t=story, tale, legend]], found in [[got|𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌻𐌻|tr=spill|t=story, fable]], [[non|spjall]], [[ang|spell]], [[osx|spel]] and [[goh|spel|t=speech, tale]], and in [[en|spell]] and [[m|en|gospel]].^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Outside Germanic it agrees in form only with [[xcl|առասպել|tr=aṙaspel|t=legend, proverb]].^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Kroonen 2013) With a movable /s/ Kluge also connects it, more doubtfully, with [[la|appellō|t=to address, call upon]].^(Kluge 2011|106) Pfeifer adds [[grc|ἀπειλή|tr=apeilḗ|t=boast, threat]] and [[lv|pelt|t=to revile]] and sets up a root [[ine-pro|*(s)pel-|t=to speak loudly, emphatically]], but the revised Grimm dictionary holds that nothing certain can be said about its further origin.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 814) Kroonen reconstructs [[ine-pro|*spel(H)-]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The word has nothing to do with [[Spiel]] “game”: its vowel was adapted to that word in late Middle High German by folk etymology, as in [[Kirchspiel]].^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) The modern sense “example, model” is a loan meaning from [[la|exemplum]], which meant both “parable” and “model”.^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The simple noun ''spel'' “speech, statement, story, parable, proverb” is recorded in Old High German from the end of the 8th century, in glosses, Isidor, the Monsee Fragments and Notker.^(EWA|8, 724)^(Schützeichel 2012|304)^(Köbler AHD) The compound appears in Old Low Franconian as ''bispille'' for Latin ''parabolam'' in the Lipsius glosses (9th–10th century), and Kluge dates the German word to the 12th century.^(DWB2|4, 814)^(Kluge 2011|106) In Middle High German ''bīspel'' meant an instructive story, a parable or fable, or a proverb in figurative language.^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Before 1150 Der arme Hartmann announces that he will tell ''ein bispelle'' about a rich man.^(DWB2|4, 814) For the poet der Stricker the fable of the wolf and the lamb was the first of all such tales.^(DWB|1, 1394) The Grimms stress that the old word meant a story, not a model given by an action;^(DWB|1, 1394) Weckherlin still used it in the sense “byword, object of mockery”.^(DWB|1, 1394)

+

+ Luther uses it mainly for an instructive fact to be followed or avoided.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) From the 16th century, under the influence of Latin ''exemplum'' (see [[Exempel]]), the word took on the senses “model, pattern”, as in ''ein Beispiel geben'' and ''sich ein Beispiel nehmen''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020) The sense “particular case illustrating a general rule” is later.^(Paul 2002) The phrases ''zum Beispiel'' and ''ohne Beispiel'' are modelled on French ''par exemple'' and ''sans exemple''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) In 1854 Jacob Grimm wrote in the preface of the German dictionary that words need examples, without which their best force would be lost.^(Paul 2002) In Dutch the word died out and was replaced by ''voorbeeld''.^(DWB|1, 1394)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 8th century – Old High German ''spel'' “story” appears in glosses.^(EWA|8, 724)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th–10th century – Old Low Franconian ''bispille'' glosses Latin ''parabolam''.^(DWB2|4, 814)

+ * 1077–1081 – Middle High German ''bīspel'' appears in the Annolied.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * Before 1150 – Der arme Hartmann uses ''bispelle'' “parable”.^(DWB2|4, 814)

+ * 15th century – The form ''Beispiel'' appears, and ''in peispil weis'' “by way of example”.^(Kluge 2011|106)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The sense “model, pattern” develops under the influence of Latin ''exemplum''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * End of the 17th century – ''beispielsweise'' “for example” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Second half of the 18th century – ''beispiellos'' “unprecedented” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 20th century – ''beispielhaft'' “exemplary” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|example]], a typical case taken to explain or prove something: ''ein gutes Beispiel für schlechte Planung''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A model or pattern to be followed or avoided: ''ein schlechtes Beispiel''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # In set phrases: ''zum Beispiel'' (abbreviated ''z.B.'') “for example”, ''ohne Beispiel sein'' “to be unprecedented”, ''ein Beispiel geben'' “to set an example”, ''sich an jemandem ein Beispiel nehmen'' “to take someone as a model”, and ''mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen'' “to lead by example”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[beispielhaft]]

+ * [[beispiellos]]

+ * [[beispielsweise]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Exempel]]

+ * [[Kirchspiel]]

+ * [[en|spell]]

+ * [[en|gospel]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''schlechte Beispiele verderben gute Sitten'' “bad examples corrupt good manners” goes back to 1 Corinthians 15:33.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kant distinguished ''Beispiel'' from ''Exempel''.^(DWB|1, 1394)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}