schlecht German · revision 35085

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃlɛçt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''schlecht''' (strong nominative masculine singular schlechter, comparative schlechter, superlative am schlechtesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sleht]], [[inh|goh|sleht|t=smooth, level, simple]], [[inh|gem-pro|*slihtaz|t=smooth, level]].^(Kluge 2011|809)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|8, 404) The same adjective is [[got|𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃|tr=slaihts|t=smooth]], [[non|sléttr|t=level, smooth]], [[osx|sliht]], [[ofs|sliucht]] and [[nl|slecht]].^(Kluge 2011|809)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer derives [[en|slight]] through Middle English from Norse, while the Grimms' dictionary takes it for a loan from Dutch or Low German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|15, 519)

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+ Kluge sees in it the shape of a participle in *-to- belonging to [[schleichen]], which also had the senses “to glide, smooth”, and compares [[ang|slīc|t=smooth]].^(Kluge 2011|809) Pfeifer derives it from [[ine-pro|*(s)leiĝ-|t=slimy, to glide, to smooth]], an extension of the root of [[Leim]] and [[Lehm]], so that its first sense was “smoothed, level”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) Kluge also compares [[sga|slíachtaid|t=rubs, strokes]], which may however be a loan from Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|809) The Grimms' dictionary, in 1899, still called the origin obscure.^(DWB|15, 519)

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+ The vowel /i/ was regular in Old High German derivatives such as [[m|goh|slihtī]] and could spread back into the adjective, helped by the Low German form [[m|nds|slicht]]: this is the source of [[schlicht]], which kept the old meaning.^(EWA|8, 404)^(DWB|15, 519)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sleht'' is recorded from the 8th century, in the Abrogans and other glosses, and in the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “smooth, level, plain, simple” and also “gentle, kind, flattering”.^(EWA|8, 404)^(Schützeichel 2012|297)^(Köbler AHD) Notker's ''nâh slehten worten'' means “literally, in plain words”.^(EWA|8, 404)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''sleht'' meant straight or level, as opposed to crooked and rough, and also plain, simple and sincere: ''dû kanst wol krump sleht machen'', “you can make the crooked straight”.^(Lexer 1872|2, 967) Luther still used it for “straight” and “smooth”, and as an adverb for “merely” and “utterly”.^(Paul 2002)

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+ From the 15th century ''schlecht'' “simple” was contrasted with what is precious or excellent, and so came to mean “of little worth, not good”, while the old meaning passed to [[schlicht]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|809)^(Paul 2002) Paul finds the modern sense from the 16th century, in Dasypodius and later in Stieler (''schlechter Wein''), and the moral sense “bad, wicked” grew out of it.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The old meaning survives in ''schlecht und recht'' and in [[schlechthin]] (17th century), [[schlechtweg]] (late 17th century, after Middle High German ''slehtes weg'') and [[schlechterdings]] (late 17th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|740) Litotes ''nicht schlecht'' “not bad, excellent” began in student slang in 1795.^(Paul 2002)

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+ German ''schlecht'' was borrowed into Hungarian as ''selejt'' “bad, defective” (1462) and into Polish as ''szlecht'' “scoundrel” (1861), and the Germanic word also gave Italian ''schietto'' “pure, plain”.^(LWP)^(DWB|15, 519)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''sleht'' appears in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|809)^(EWA|8, 404)

+ * 14th century – ''slehtes weg'', the ancestor of ''schlechtweg'', is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''schlecht'' begins to mean “of little worth”, and ''schlicht'' takes over the old sense.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1462 – Hungarian ''selejt'' “bad, defective” is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 16th century – The modern sense “bad” is established.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''schlechthin'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – [[Schlechtigkeit]] “badness, wickedness” is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1795 – ''nicht schlecht'' is recorded as student slang for high praise.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1861 – Polish ''szlecht'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|bad|alt=Bad]], of poor quality, full of faults: ''Das Frühstück im Hotel war schlecht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Weak, inadequate, not enough in amount or strength: ''Bei Nebel sieht man auf dieser Straße schlecht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Unfavourable, unfortunate, and unpleasant: ''Die Aussichten für morgen sind schlecht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Morally bad, [[m|en|wicked]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Unwell, [[m|en|sick]], nauseated: ''mir ist schlecht''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+ # Of food: spoiled, gone off.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(adverb)'' Hardly, with difficulty: ''Am Montag kann ich schlecht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' Plain, simple, as in ''schlecht und recht''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[schlechthin]]

+ * [[schlechtweg]]

+ * [[schlechterdings]]

+ * [[Schlechtigkeit]]

+ * [[schlechtmachen]]

+ * [[verschlechtern]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[schlicht]]

+ * [[schleichen]]

+ * [[en|slight]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Schlecht und recht'' first meant “simple and upright” and is a biblical phrase, but ''mehr schlecht als recht'' “after a fashion” shows the later sense.^(Paul 2002) ''Nicht schlecht'' in colloquial speech means “very much”: ''sie staunte nicht schlecht''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}