einzig German · revision 35072

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=12th century|origins=ine-pro *óynos}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈaɪ̯nt͡sɪç/, /ˈaɪ̯nt͡sɪk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''einzig''' (strong nominative masculine singular einziger, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|einzec]], also [[m|gmh|einzic]], formed in the 12th century [[af|gmh|einez|-ec|t1=single]].^(Kluge 2011|237)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE) It is built like [[einzeln]], on the same base.^(Kluge 2011|237)^(Duden 7 2014) That base goes back to [[goh|einezzi|t=single, successive]], whose dative plural gave the 8th-century adverb [[m|goh|einezzēn|t=singly, one after another]], and is a derivative of [[m|goh|ein|t=one]], from [[gem-pro|*ainaz]] and [[ine-pro|*óynos|t=one]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|2, 989)

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+ The Grimms' dictionary notes that no related language has a matching formation, neither Old Saxon nor Dutch nor English, and calls it an unnecessary new word, since the older [[einig]] already meant “sole, only”.^(DWB|3, 356) It thinks the adjective was abstracted from the adverbial dative, Middle High German [[m|gmh|einzigen|t=one by one]].^(DWB|3, 356)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest quotation in the revised Grimm dictionary is adverbial, from the Younger Judith of 1130/50: ''dî heiden vluhen einzigen dan'' “the heathens fled away one by one”.^(DWB2|7, 1159) Middle High German ''einzec'' meant “single, separate, one at a time”, as in Lexer's quotations, and the adjective appears in Meister Eckhart.^(Lexer 1872|1, 531)^(DWB|3, 356)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From late Middle High German on, ''einzig'' came under the influence of [[einig]], the derivative of [[ein]], and in Early New High German it took over that word's old sense “only one, present only once”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|7, 1159)^(Duden 7 2014) The older sense “single, separate” survived mainly in the south and west and has been dialectal since the mid-18th century.^(DWB2|7, 1159) Luther's Bible still uses only ''einig'', never ''einzig''.^(DWB|3, 356) In 1774 Adelung still denied the sense “the only one” to the higher style, but before 1800 it had become the usual written word for singularity.^(DWB2|7, 1159)

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+ From “only one of its kind” came “unique, incomparable”, and as an adverb “only, exclusively”, often in the pair ''einzig und allein''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) More recent German also uses it to intensify an adjective (''einzig schön'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|3, 357) Since the meaning hardly allows comparison, the superlative ''einzigste'' is a pleonasm, yet Goethe used it in ''Faust II'' and Heine and Raabe have it too.^(Paul 2002) The compound [[einzigartig]] “unique” dates from the end of the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1130/50 – The adverbial dative ''einzigen'' “one by one” in the Younger Judith.^(DWB2|7, 1159)

+ * 12th century – Middle High German ''einzec'', ''einzic''.^(Kluge 2011|237)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 1774 – Adelung still rejects the sense “the only one” for the higher style.^(DWB2|7, 1159)

+ * 1811 – Goethe writes ''die ersten und einzigsten Nachrichten'', with the superlative.^(DWB2|7, 1159)

+ * End of the 19th century – ''einzigartig'' “unique” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|only|alt=Only]], [[m|en|sole]], occurring just once: ''sie war die einzige Zeugin''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Used as a noun: ''der Einzige'', ''das Einzige'', the only one, the only thing: ''das war das Einzige, was half''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Intensifying: nothing but, one single: ''der Garten war ein einziges Durcheinander''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # [[m|en|unique|alt=Unique]], incomparable: ''einzig in seiner Art''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Only, [[m|en|exclusively]]: ''einzig sie kannte den Weg'', and in the phrase ''einzig und allein'' “solely”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Before an adjective, intensifying: extraordinarily: ''ein einzig schöner Abend''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|3, 357)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[einzigartig]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ein]]

+ * [[einzeln]]

+ * [[einig]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ The superlative ''einzigste'' is common in colloquial speech and occurs in Goethe, Heine and Raabe, though strictly the word admits no degrees.^(Paul 2002) Where ''einzig'' passes into “incomparable”, a comparative is possible, as in Goethe's ''noch einziger''.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 357)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}