fallen German · revision 35046

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfalən/, /ˈfal̩n/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fallen''' (class 7 strong, third-person singular present fällt, past tense fiel, past participle gefallen, auxiliary sein)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|vallen]], [[inh|goh|fallan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*fallan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*fallaną|t=to fall]].^(Kluge 2011|274)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[osx|fallan]], [[non|falla]], [[ang|feallan]] and [[ofs|falla]], and today [[nl|vallen]], [[en|fall]] and [[sv|falla]].^(Kluge 2011|274)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|3, 36) Gothic has no such verb and uses [[got|𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌽|tr=driusan]] instead.^(Kluge 2011|274)^(DWB|3, 1277) The double ⟨ll⟩ goes back to an older present formed with a nasal suffix.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ Its further origin is uncertain: Kluge finds no secure comparison outside Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|274)^(DWB2|9, 86) Kluge and Pfeifer compare [[lt|pùlti|t=to fall]], which would need a lengthened grade, and Armenian words for “collapse” and “to fall”, such as [[xcl|փլանիմ|tr=pʻlanim|t=to fall]];^(Kluge 2011|274)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer adds, more doubtfully, [[grc|σφάλλω|tr=sphállō|t=to make fall, overthrow]], and sets up a root [[ine-pro|*pʰōl-|t=to fall]].^(Kluge 2011|274)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) Kroonen and Wiktionary instead follow a newer explanation as a univerbation of [[ine-pro|*h₂pó|t=off, away]] and [[ine-pro|*h₃elh₁-|t=to fall]], which would also connect [[grc|ἀπόλλυμι|tr=apóllūmi|t=to destroy]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''fallan'' is recorded from the end of the 8th century in glosses and in the Monsee fragments, and then in Tatian, Otfrid, Notker, the ''Muspilli'' and the Murbach hymns.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|95)^(AWB) It meant “to fall, tumble down, come to a fall, collapse, sink, perish”, and also “to fall to someone's share”.^(EWA|3, 36)^(Schützeichel 2012|95) Old High German Tatian (about 830) uses it in the parable of the sower: ''andaru fielun in steinahti lant'' “others fell on stony ground”.^(DWB2|9, 86)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Fallen'' at first denotes a sudden downward movement caused by weight, and so, of living beings, an involuntary one, distinct from [[sinken]].^(Paul 2002) From the fall of dice came the uses ''die Würfel fallen'' “the die is cast” and a decision or judgement “falls”; words and shots also “fall”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) A city or fortress “falls” when it is taken, and a soldier “falls” in battle.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Water, a thermometer or prices fall when their level goes down, the opposite of [[steigen]].^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Until the 17th century past forms modelled on another verb class occur occasionally.^(DWB2|9, 86) The verb forms many prefixed and particle verbs, such as [[auffallen]] (18th century), [[einfallen]] (Middle High German ''īnvallen'', in the sense “come to mind” from about 1500 in Middle Low German) and [[gefallen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|254) The noun [[Fall]], Old High German ''fal'', took the senses “case, event” from the image of falling dice, under the influence of Latin ''cāsus'' and French ''cas''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''fallan'' appears in glosses and the Monsee fragments.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 830 – ''fallan'' in the Old High German Tatian.^(DWB2|9, 86)

+ * 12th century – First records of ''fallen'' meaning “to be (the case)”, without movement.^(DWB2|9, 86)

+ * c. 1500 – Middle Low German ''invallen'' is used of thoughts “coming to mind”.^(Duden 7 2020|254)

+ * 17th century – Irregular past forms after another verb class die out.^(DWB2|9, 86)

+ * 18th century – ''auffallen'' “to attract attention” is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|fall]], drop by its own weight: ''Die Birnen fallen ins Gras.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To fall over, lose one's balance and fall to the ground.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To hang down or slope down: ''Das Haar fällt ihr auf die Schultern.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To go down, [[m|en|decrease]], [[m|en|decline]] (of a level, temperature, price or value).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(military)'' To be killed in battle.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To fall, be captured or overthrown (of a city, a government).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To fall on a day or within a period (of an event or holiday).^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To be heard, ring out (of a shot), or to be made (of a remark or decision).^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Fall]]

+ * [[fällig]]

+ * [[Gefälle]]

+ * [[auffallen]]

+ * [[ausfallen]]

+ * [[einfallen]]

+ * [[Einfall]]

+ * [[durchfallen]]

+ * [[befallen]]

+ * [[verfallen]]

+ * [[gefallen]]

+ * [[zufallen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Falle]]

+ * [[fällen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases are ''ins Gewicht fallen'' “to carry weight”, ''fallen lassen'' “to drop, give up (a plan, a friend)” and ''flachfallen'' (colloquial) “not to take place”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Ein gefallenes Mädchen'' was, in the moral view of earlier times, a young woman who had lost her virginity outside marriage.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}