eher German · revision 35086

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈeːər/, [ˈʔeː.ɐ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''eher'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The superlative is ''am ehesten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ The form ''ehest'' has been common since the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|ē]], [[inh|goh|ēr|t=earlier, before]], [[inh|gem-pro|*airiz|t=earlier]], the adverb of an old comparative.^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|7, 140) The same adverb is [[got|𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌹𐍃|tr=airis]], [[osx|ēr]], [[ang|ǣr]], whence [[en|ere]], and [[nl|eer]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|7, 140) The adjectival comparative is [[goh|ēriro]], [[got|𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌹𐌶𐌰|tr=airiza]] and [[ang|ǣrra]], and its superlative survives in [[erst]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Pfeifer 1993) The positive, lost in German, is preserved in [[got|𐌰𐌹𐍂|tr=air|t=early]] and [[non|ár|t=early]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(DWB2|7, 140)

+

+ Kluge takes the original meaning to be “at daybreak”, comparing [[grc|ἦρι|tr=êri|t=early in the morning]] and [[ae|ayar-|t=day]].^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Duden 7 2020|223) The DWB2 traces these to [[ine-pro|*ā̆i̯er-|t=day, morning]], which Pfeifer gives only as a possible source, asking whether it belongs to a root meaning “to burn, shine”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|7, 140)

+

+ The final /r/ was lost regularly in late Old High German, as in [[da]] and [[hie]], so that the usual Middle High German form, from the 11th century, ended in a vowel, and Early New High German stretched it into two syllables, [[ehe]].^(DWB2|7, 140)^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) The modern form with /r/, first found in Central German in the 15th century, arose from that word under the influence of the adjectival comparative [[m|gmh|ērer|t=earlier, former]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|223)^(Paul 2002) Wiktionary instead derives it mainly from that adjective, shortened by haplology, and mixed with the rarer adverb [[m|gmh|ēr]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''ēr'' is recorded from the 8th century, in glosses and in the Isidor, ''Muspilli'', ''Ludwigslied'', Otfrid and Notker, meaning “earlier, formerly, before, ever”, also “rather, sooner”, and as a preposition and conjunction “before”.^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|90)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word served in Old and Middle High German as adverb, preposition and conjunction.^(DWB2|7, 140) From the 15th century the new form ''eher'' spread.^(DWB2|7, 140) It prevailed from the middle of the 17th century as the adverb, so that the adverb ''eher'' became separate from the conjunction and preposition ''ehe''.^(DWB2|7, 140)^(Paul 2002) ''Ehe'' as an adverb lasted until the end of the 18th century and is found later only as an archaism, as in Schiller's ''eh nanntest du mich so''.^(DWB2|7, 140)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The old temporal sense “before now, formerly” is obsolete, replaced by ''früher'' and ''schon'', but survives in ''seit eh und je''.^(Paul 2002) Already Middle High German ''ē'' could say that one event was more likely than another, which led to the senses “rather, more readily” and “more accurately”, as in ''eher ein Sumpf als ein See'' (Goethe).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''ēr'' appears in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|229)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 11th century – The shortened form ''ē'' sets in, and it prevails from the 12th century.^(DWB2|7, 140)

+ * 15th century – The form ''eher'' appears.^(DWB2|7, 140)

+ * 17th century – ''Eher'' prevails as the adverb, and the superlative ''ehest'' becomes common.^(DWB2|7, 140)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 18th century – The adverb ''ehe'' goes out of normal use.^(DWB2|7, 140)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|earlier|alt=Earlier]], [[m|en|sooner]], also as the comparative of [[bald]]: ''Wir waren eher am Bahnhof als die anderen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|rather|alt=Rather]], more readily, expressing a preference: ''Eher gehe ich zu Fuß, als mit ihm im Auto zu fahren.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # More likely, more easily: ''Bei Regen kommen eher wenige Leute.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Rather, somewhat, expressing a weakened degree or a correction: ''ein eher kleines Zimmer''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ehe]]

+ * [[erst]]

+ * [[en|ere]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Je eher, desto besser'' means “the sooner the better”, and ''alles eher als'' “anything but”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}