Tor German · revision 35056

+ {{homograph|1|fool}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=13th century|origins=gem-pro *dauz-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /toːr/, [tʰoːɐ̯], [tʰɔɐ̯]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Tor''' ''m'' (genitive Toren, plural Toren, feminine Törin)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older texts sometimes inflect it strong, as ''dem thor'' in Klopstock.^(DWB|21, 392) Central German also had a form ''thur''.^(DWB|21, 392) Older texts spell it ''Thor''.^(DWB|21, 392)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The fool is [[inh|gmh|tōre]], a noun formed from an adjective that has not survived on its own.^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|863) The same word is [[gml|dore]] and [[dum|door|t=fool]].^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary reconstructs [[gmw-pro|*dauʀō|t=fool]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Its /r/ alternates with /s/ by grammatical change (Verner's law), and the adjective's Germanic base [[m|gem-pro|*dauz-]] is proved by [[goh|tusīg|t=dull, foolish]] and [[ang|dysig|t=foolish]].^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|21, 392) It belongs with [[dösig]] and [[Dusel]] to a verbal root meaning “to be confused, to be in a fog”, and is related to [[Dunst]] “haze”; more distantly, Kluge connects [[toll]] and [[taub]].^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|863) The starting sense would thus be “befuddled, confused”, whence “thoughtless, foolish”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kluge dates the word to the 13th century, but Köbler already lists the Millstatt Genesis (perhaps about 1120) among the sources of Middle High German ''tōre'', which meant a madman, a fool, and also a deaf or deaf and dumb person.^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Köbler MHD) Konrad von Megenberg calls those born with a defect of the soul ''die natürleichen tôren''.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|21, 392)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The strongest sense was “insane, mentally ill person”; from it came the general sense of someone who acts against common sense, as opposed to the wise and prudent.^(DWB|21, 392)^(FWB) In the Bavarian mountains the word meant “deaf-mute”, which the Grimms took as a sign that it once meant “deaf” more generally.^(DWB|21, 392) Luther's Bible has it often, as in ''die thoren sprechen in irem hertzen, es ist kein gott'' (Psalm 14:1).^(DWB|21, 392) Wieland held that being called a ''Narr'' could even flatter, while being called a ''Thor'' only humiliates.^(DWB|21, 392)

+

+ Goethe's Faust says ''Da steh ich nun, ich armer Tohr, Und binn so klug als wie zuvor'' (“Here I stand, poor fool, no wiser than before”).^(Paul 2002) In modern German the word is literary: Hofmannsthal's play ''Der Tor und der Tod'' appeared in 1893.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) The adjective [[töricht]], Middle High German ''tōreht'', mostly weakened to “unwise”;^(Paul 2002) Luther writes of the five foolish virgins.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – Köbler lists the Millstatt Genesis (perhaps about 1120) among the first sources of Middle High German ''tōre''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 13th century – Kluge dates the word to this century.^(Kluge 2011|921)

+ * Second half of the 16th century – ''Betörung'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1893 – Hofmannsthal's play ''Der Tor und der Tod'' appears.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(dated or literary)'' A [[m|en|fool]], a foolish, thoughtless person: ''Ich war ein Tor, ihm zu glauben.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[töricht]]

+ * [[Torheit]]

+ * [[betören]]

+ * [[Törin]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|gate, goal}}

+

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /toːr/, [tʰoːɐ̯], [tʰɔɐ̯]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Tor''' ''n'' (genitive Tores or Tors, plural Tore)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older plurals were ''tor'' without an ending, as in Middle High German, umlauted ''thör'' (Aventinus), ''thörer'' and the weak ''thoren''.^(DWB|21, 393) Older texts spell it ''Thor''.^(DWB|21, 393)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The gate is [[inh|gmh|tor]], [[inh|goh|tor]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*dor]], [[inh|gem-pro|*durą|t=gate, single door]].^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂|tr=daur]], [[osx|dor]] and [[ang|dor]], whence [[en|door]].^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Duden 7 2020|863) Kluge suggests that it was used at first in compounds or in the plural.^(Kluge 2011|921)

+

+ It has the same base as [[Tür]] “door”, Germanic [[m|gem-pro|*dur-]], which mostly occurs in the dual or plural, as in [[m|got|𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍉𐌽𐍃|tr=daurons]].^(Kluge 2011|935)^(Duden 7 2020|863)^(Kroonen 2013) The Indo-European source is [[m|ine-pro|*dʰwer-|t=door]], also in [[grc|θύρα|tr=thúra]], [[la|foris|alt=forēs]] and [[lt|durys|alt=dùrys]].^(Kluge 2011|935)^(Wiktionary) Kroonen takes the Germanic neuter from [[ine-pro|*dʰur-o-]], with a dual “double door” behind the word for “door”.^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''tor'' is recorded at the end of the 8th century in glosses and in the Isidor, and in the Monsee fragments.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|333) Middle High German ''tor'' meant a gate or door, a city or castle gate, also a portcullis.^(Köbler MHD)^(Lexer 1872|2, 1463)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German and later it was used chiefly for a city gate and the gate of a castle, church or yard, and also for the leaves that close it.^(DWB|21, 393)^(FWB)^(Paul 2002) In the Bible the city gate is the place of judgement, as in ''bestellet das recht im thor'' (Amos 5:15).^(DWB|21, 393) It is often paired alliteratively with ''Tür'', as in ''Tür und Tor''.^(DWB|21, 393)^(Paul 2002) Figurative uses such as ''das Tor zum Glück'' and ''des himels tor'' “heaven's gate” go back to Middle High German.^(Lexer 1872|2, 1463)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ In the early 20th century the word was applied in sport to the frame into which the ball must be played, recorded in 1903, and then to a goal scored; it is also the gate of two poles in slalom.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Torschluss'' “the closing of the gates” is recorded around 1750; the idiom ''kurz vor Torschluss'' means “at the last minute”, and ''Torschlusspanik'' “fear of missing out” is in the 1961 Duden.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * c. 1750 – ''Torschluss'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1903 – The sports sense “goal” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1961 – ''Torschlusspanik'' is listed in the Duden.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|gate]], a wide opening in a wall or fence for going or driving through: ''Die Kutsche rollte durch das Tor.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The gate itself, the [[m|en|leaf|alt=leaves]] that close such an opening: ''Das Tor der Scheune klemmt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A gate building with a passage, as the ''Brandenburger Tor''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(sports)'' The [[m|en|goal]] into which the ball or puck must be played: ''Der Torwart stand im Tor.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' A goal scored: ''ein Tor schießen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(skiing)'' A gate of two poles in a [[m|en|slalom]] course.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Torwart]]

+ * [[Torhüter]]

+ * [[Torschluss]]

+ * [[Torschlusspanik]]

+ * [[Stadttor]]

+ * [[torlos]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Tür]]

+ * [[dösig]]

+ * [[Dusel]]

+ * [[Dunst]]

+ * [[en|door]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Kluge numbers the fool ''Tor''¹ and the gate ''Tor''², while the Duden numbers them the other way round.^(Kluge 2011|921)^(Duden 7 2020|863) ''Ins eigene Tor schießen'' “to score an own goal” means to harm oneself.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Vor den Toren'' means just outside a town or building.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}