legen German · revision 35011

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German|origins=ine-pro *legʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈleːɡən/, [ˈleː.ŋ̍]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''legen''' (third-person singular present legt, past tense legte, past participle gelegt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|legen]], [[inh|goh|leggen]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*laggjan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*lagjaną|t=to lay]].^(Kluge 2011|567)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[got|𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=lagjan]], [[non|leggja]], [[ang|lecgan]], [[ofs|lega]] and [[osx|leggian]].^(Kluge 2011|567)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) It is the causative of [[liegen]], properly “to make lie”.^(Kluge 2011|567)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|513) Outside Germanic the same formation is Old Church Slavonic [[m|cu|-ложити|tr=-ložiti|t=to lay]], beside [[m|cu|лежати|tr=ležati|t=to lie]].^(Kluge 2011|567)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen reconstructs [[ine-pro|*logʰ-éie-]], and Köbler gives the root as [[ine-pro|*legʰ-|t=to lie]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ The double consonant of the Old High German verb is the West Germanic gemination before /j/.^(EWA|5, 1108) Middle High German also had contracted forms such as ⟨leit⟩ “lays” and ⟨geleit⟩ “laid”, which mixed with the forms of the intransitive verb and were given up by the written language from the 16th century.^(EWA|5, 1108)^(DWB|12, 519)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''leggen'' is recorded from the 8th century, first in the Abrogans and the Benedictine Rule, and then in the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “to lay, put, place, set down”.^(EWA|5, 1108)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|195) It already formed phrases such as ''ei leggen'' “to lay eggs”, ''fundament leggen'' “to lay the foundation” and ''wuosti leggen'' “to lay waste”.^(EWA|5, 1108)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Particle verbs and prefixed verbs carry most of the later senses.^(Kluge 2011|567) ''Anlegen'' already existed in Old High German; in Middle High German it also meant “to plot” and “to invest at interest”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|513) ''Ableger'', a layer or shoot of a plant, is from the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|513) ''Erlegen'' “to kill game” has been a hunting word since Middle High German.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) ''Belegen'' first meant “to lay on”;^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) ''Belegschaft'', the workforce of a company, comes from its use for manning a mine with miners.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ The Grimms' dictionary of 1885 records ''Bauernlegen'', the absorption of peasant farms into large estates.^(Paul 2002) In regional use ''Kartoffeln legen'' means “to plant potatoes”, a use Goethe also had.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''leggen'' is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|567)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 8th century – ''analeggen'' “to put on, lay on” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The written language gives up the contracted forms ''leit'', ''geleit''.^(DWB|12, 519)

+ * 18th century – ''Ableger'' is used for a plant shoot.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1885 – The Grimms' dictionary records ''Bauernlegen''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|lay]], put into a lying position: ''den Verletzten auf die Seite legen'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''(sports jargon)'' to bring down a player.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To lean (a ladder) against something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To [[m|en|lie down]]: ''Der Hund legte sich vor den Ofen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To settle on something, of snow or fog; to affect an organ, of an illness: ''Der Husten hat sich auf die Bronchien gelegt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To put or place somewhere: ''Geld auf die Seite legen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To lay (pipes, cables, rails), to install.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To arrange in a certain shape: ''die Wäsche legen'' “to fold the washing”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To subside, [[m|en|abate]]: ''Ihre Aufregung legte sich bald.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To devote oneself to: ''sich auf ein Fachgebiet legen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To lay (eggs): ''Die Hühner legen gut.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(regional)'' To plant (potatoes, beans) seed by seed.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(animal husbandry)'' To [[m|en|castrate]].^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ablegen]]

+ * [[Ableger]]

+ * [[anlegen]]

+ * [[Anlage]]

+ * [[auflegen]]

+ * [[Auflage]]

+ * [[auslegen]]

+ * [[belegen]]

+ * [[Beleg]]

+ * [[Belegschaft]]

+ * [[darlegen]]

+ * [[einlegen]]

+ * [[erlegen]]

+ * [[niederlegen]]

+ * [[überlegen]]

+ * [[verlegen]]

+ * [[widerlegen]]

+ * [[zerlegen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[liegen]]

+ * [[Lage]]

+ * [[Gelage]]

+ * [[en|lay]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Karten legen'' is to tell fortunes with cards, and ''Feuer legen'' is to commit arson.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}