befinden German · revision 35074

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈfɪndn̩/, /bəˈfɪndən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''befinden''' (class 3 strong, third-person singular present befindet, past tense befand, past participle befunden, past subjunctive befände, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The vowel of the plural past tense was levelled to that of the singular at the end of Early New High German, though ''befund'' for ''befand'' still occurs in the 17th and 18th centuries.^(DWB2|4, 502) Weak past forms such as ''befindete'' are also found in the 17th and 18th centuries.^(DWB2|4, 502)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bevinden]], [[inh|goh|bifindan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bifinþan]], a prefixed form [[af|de|be-|finden]].^(Kluge 2011|102)^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same verb is [[osx|bifindan]], [[ofs|bifinda]], [[dum|bevinden]] and [[nl|bevinden]].^(Kluge 2011|102)^(DWB2|4, 502)

+

+ The base verb continues [[gem-pro|*finþaną|t=to find]].^(Kluge 2011|295)^(Wiktionary) Kluge finds no certain comparison outside Germanic, at best a nasalized form of [[ine-pro|*pet-|t=to fly, fall]], while Wiktionary derives it from [[m|ine-pro|*pent-|t=to go, pass]].^(Kluge 2011|295)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is a gloss of the end of the 8th century, ''pifundan'' for Latin ''nactus'' “found”.^(DWB2|4, 502)^(Köbler AHD) In the Isidor, Otfrid and Notker ''bifindan'' means “to find out, learn, discover”.^(Schützeichel 2012|103)^(EWA)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Like [[finden]], the prefixed verb was used early for mental perception: Old and Middle High German “to find, experience, get to know”, and since Early New High German also “to notice, establish”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|135) From this came the use with a predicative adjective, “to consider, judge”, as in ''für gut befinden'' (Wieland).^(Duden 7 2020|135)^(Paul 2002) Since the early 20th century ''über etwas befinden'' has meant “to decide on something”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Reflexive ''sich befinden'' first meant “to find oneself in a state”, as in ''sich wohl befinden'', and around 1600 it took on the local sense “to be present somewhere”, like French ''se trouver''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|135)^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Befinden]] meant inner perception in Tauler in the 14th century, “judgement, opinion” mainly from the 18th, and is now chiefly “state of health”.^(DWB2|4, 507)^(Duden GWDS 1999) [[Befund]] “findings” and [[befindlich]] “present, situated” date from the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – A gloss has ''pifundan'' “found”.^(DWB2|4, 502)

+ * Mid-14th century – Tauler uses the noun ''bevinden'' for inner perception.^(DWB2|4, 507)

+ * c. 1600 – Reflexive ''sich befinden'' takes on the sense “to be somewhere”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''Befund'' and ''befindlich'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1768 – The weak past ''befindete'' is recorded.^(DWB2|4, 502)

+ * Early 20th century – ''über etwas befinden'' “to decide on something” comes into use.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # Reflexive: to be [[m|en|located]], to be in a place: ''die Toiletten befinden sich im ersten Stock''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Reflexive ''(formal)'': to be in a certain state or situation: ''sich im Irrtum befinden'' “to be mistaken”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Reflexive ''(formal)'': to [[m|en|feel]], be in a certain state of health: ''sich wohl befinden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793)

+ # ''(formal)'' To [[m|en|consider]], [[m|en|deem]]: ''etwas für richtig befinden'', ''jemanden für schuldig befinden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' To state as one's opinion: ''der Gutachter befand, das Haus sei baufällig''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(chiefly official)'' With ''über'', to decide on something: ''der Rat befindet über den Antrag''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Befinden]]

+ * [[befindlich]]

+ * [[Befund]]

+ * [[Befindlichkeit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[finden]]

+ * [[empfinden]]

+ * [[erfinden]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}