Möglichkeit German · revision 35073

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=13th century, Middle High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *maganą}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmøːklɪçˌkaɪ̯t/, [ˈmøːklɪçˌkʰaɪ̯tʰ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Möglichkeit''' ''f'' (genitive Möglichkeit, plural Möglichkeiten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|mügelicheit]], formed [[af|de|möglich|-keit]].^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Pfeifer 1993) The adjective [[möglich]], Middle High German [[m|gmh|mügelich]], is recorded from the 13th century and is formed from [[mögen]] in its old sense “to be able”.^(Kluge 2011|630)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

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+ The verb, Old High German [[m|goh|mugan]], continues the preterite-present verb [[gem-pro|*maganą|t=to be able]], also found in [[got|𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=magan]], [[non|mega]] and [[ang|magan]], the source of [[en|may]].^(Kluge 2011|630)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Outside Germanic Kluge compares first [[cu|мошти|tr=mošti|t=to be able]], and calls further connections such as [[lt|mėgti|alt=mė́gti|t=to like]] unclear.^(Kluge 2011|630) Pfeifer and the Duden trace the group to a root [[ine-pro|*magʰ-|t=to be able, have power]], with [[ru|мочь|tr=močʹ|t=to be able]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The noun [[Macht]] belongs to the same verb.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle High German ''mügelicheit'' is recorded in 13th-century glosses and in the mystics Meister Eckhart, Tauler and Seuse, meaning “ability, capacity”.^(Köbler MHD) Eckhart writes that the soul has ''eine muglichkeit alle dinc zu begrîfine'' “a capacity to grasp all things”.^(DWB|12, 2468)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old sense “strength, power, ability” of a person, which the adjective had lost, was kept alive into the 17th century: in a hymn of Paul Gerhardt God lacks neither goodness nor ''müglichkeit'' “power”.^(DWB|12, 2468) In Early New High German mysticism it was also the soul's capacity, given by grace, to become one with God.^(FWB) Beside this stood the sense “what can be done in a given case”, as in Stieler's ''es war keine Möglichkeit ihme zu helfen'' “there was no way of helping him”, which became the main sense.^(DWB|12, 2468) Middle High German already used the word for an opportunity or chance.^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ The modern senses are a possible course or option, the fact that something can be done or may be the case, an opening or chance, and in the plural one's means and abilities.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – The adjective ''möglich'' is first recorded.^(Kluge 2011|630)

+ * 13th century – ''mügelicheit'' appears in Middle High German glosses.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 17th century – The old sense “power, ability” is still in use, as in Paul Gerhardt.^(DWB|12, 2468)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A possible course of action, an [[m|en|option]]: ''es gibt zwei Möglichkeiten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Without plural: the fact that something can be done, [[m|en|feasibility]]: ''die Möglichkeit besteht, dass …''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # The fact that something is conceivable, a [[m|en|possibility]] or likelihood.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # An [[m|en|opportunity]], a chance: ''die Möglichkeit haben, etwas zu tun''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' A scoring chance.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # In the plural: one's means or abilities: ''über seine Möglichkeiten leben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[möglich]]

+ * [[unmöglich]]

+ * [[mögen]]

+ * [[vermögen]]

+ * [[Macht]]

+ * [[en|may]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Nach Möglichkeit'' means “if possible”, and the colloquial exclamation ''Ist das die Möglichkeit!'' expresses astonishment or indignation.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}