Erfolg German · revision 35034

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=1521|origins=gem-pro *fulgāną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Erfolg''' ''m'' (genitive Erfolges or Erfolgs, plural Erfolge)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a back-formation from the verb [[erfolgen]], recorded from the early 16th century.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|8, 1721)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge dates the noun to the 17th century and thinks [[fr|succéder]] and [[m|fr|succès]] may have influenced it.^(Kluge 2011|254)

+

+ The verb is [[gmh|ervolgen]], [[goh|arfolgēn]], formed from [[folgen]] with the prefix [[er-]].^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|8, 1723) That verb continues [[gem-pro|*fulgāną|t=to follow]], whose further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Kluge reads the verb here as “to reach, obtain”, while Wahrig starts from the sense “to happen”.^(Kluge 2011|254)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The earliest quotation, from 1521, has ''bis zum erfolg des urteils'' “until the judgement is carried out”, with the sense “occurrence, execution”.^(DWB2|8, 1721) The word stayed rare until the 18th century.^(DWB2|8, 1721)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The first senses were the coming about of something and its result, good or bad.^(DWB2|8, 1721)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Goethe still often used it for the course of events, and Lessing's ''in Erfolg dieser Anberaumung'' means “as a consequence of this appointment”.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 803) Adelung, around 1800, defined it as what follows, a consequence, or the outcome of a matter.^(Adelung 1793)

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+ From the middle of the 18th century the sense “achievement of the intended effect, success” grew steadily, and it is now the only one in general use.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|8, 1721) With it came [[erfolglos]] and [[erfolgreich]], and in the 20th century compounds such as ''Erfolgsbuch'' (1913, Thomas Mann), ''Erfolgsaussicht'' (1914) and ''Erfolgserlebnis'' (1935).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1521 – First record, in a Swiss source, in the sense “execution”.^(DWB2|8, 1721)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – Kluge's date for the noun.^(Kluge 2011|254)

+ * mid-18th century – The sense “success” spreads.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|8, 1721)

+ * 19th century – The sense “occurrence” dies out.^(DWB2|8, 1721)

+ * 1913 – Thomas Mann uses ''Erfolgsbuch''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1935 – ''Erfolgserlebnis'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|success|alt=Success]], a positive result of an effort, the achievement of an intended [[m|en|effect]]: ''der Plan hatte großen Erfolg''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Something successful: ''das Konzert war ein voller Erfolg''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial, ironic)'' The [[m|en|consequence]]: ''der Erfolg war, dass alle nass wurden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[erfolglos]]

+ * [[erfolgreich]]

+ * [[Erfolgserlebnis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[erfolgen]]

+ * [[folgen]]

+ * [[Folge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}