Dezember German · revision 35060

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200|origins=la decem}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /deˈtsɛmbɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Dezember''' ''m'' (genitive Dezembers or Dezember, plural Dezember)^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 17th century it often kept Latin endings, as in ''den zwanzigisten decembris'' (1589).^(DWB2|6, 834)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|december]], [[bor|la|December|t=the tenth month]], short for [[m|la|mēnsis December]].^(Kluge 2011|195)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The Latin name is derived from [[m|la|decem|t=ten]], but its formation is unclear;^(Kluge 2011|195)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kluge considers a compound with the word for “month”, and Wahrig calls the ending of unclear origin.^(Kluge 2011|195)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) It was the tenth and last month of the old Roman year, which began with March, and kept its name when January and February were added and it became the twelfth.^(Kluge 2011|195)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|219)

+

+ The same Latin word is [[nl|december]], [[en|December]], [[fr|décembre]] and [[sv|december]].^(Kluge 2011|195) Latin [[m|la|decem]] is related to the native [[zehn]].^(Kluge 2011|195)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle High German ''december'' is recorded from about 1200, in a medical text, and in charters of the 13th century.^(Köbler MHD) German inflected forms appear from the end of the 13th century, at first in charters, chronicles and translations: a letter of 1290 is dated ''an sand Luceyn abent in dem december'' “on the eve of Saint Lucy in December”.^(DWB2|6, 834)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The older German name was Old High German ''heilagmānōd'' “holy month”, which was replaced by ''Christmond'' in the 15th century; other old names were ''Wintermonat'', ''Hartmonat'', ''Schlachtmonat'' and ''Wolfmonat''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)^(Paul 2002) The Latin name entered the general language only in the 17th century and has been inflected in German since then.^(DWB2|6, 834)^(Pfeifer 1993) A text of 1450 explained the name as made of ''decem'' and ''ymber''.^(Lexer 1872|1, 413)

+

+ Like other month names it is often used without the article and uninflected, as in ''seit Dezember''.^(DWB2|6, 834)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1200 – Middle High German ''december'' appears in a medical text.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 1290 – A charter is dated ''in dem december''.^(DWB2|6, 834)

+ * 15th century – ''Christmond'' replaces the older native ''Heiligmonat''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The Latin name becomes common in the general language and is inflected in German.^(DWB2|6, 834)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|December]], the twelfth and last [[m|en|month]] of the year: ''Ende Dezember ist das Büro geschlossen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zehn]]

+ * [[dezimal]]

+ * [[Dekade]]

+ * [[Dekan]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The abbreviation is ''Dez.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}