Vorsitzender German · revision 35089

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=second half of the 18th century}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɪt͡sn̩dɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Vorsitzender''' ''m'' (adjectival, definite nominative der Vorsitzende, genitive (des) Vorsitzenden, plural Vorsitzende, definite plural die Vorsitzenden, feminine Vorsitzende)^(Wiktionary)

+ It is declined like an adjective: ''der Vorsitzende'', ''ein Vorsitzender'', and for a woman ''die Vorsitzende'', ''eine Vorsitzende''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the noun use of [[vorsitzend]], the present participle of [[vorsitzen]] “to preside, chair”, formed in the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) That verb, recorded from the 15th century, is [[vor]] + [[sitzen]], which goes back to [[ine-pro|*sed-|t=to sit]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|26, 1587) Wiktionary thinks the noun was most likely modelled on [[la|praeses|t=one who presides]], and Paul and Pfeifer take the related [[Vorsitz]] for a rendering of [[m|la|praesidium]].^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Grimms' dictionary doubts that the verb was copied from [[m|la|praesideō]], since its older senses had no Latin model.^(DWB|26, 1587)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pfeifer dates the noun to the second half of the 18th century, and Paul cites it from Rabener (1777), meaning one who presides over a meeting.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Wiktionary finds it in print from the 17th century.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Vorsitzender'' largely replaced the older ''Vorsitzer'', recorded from the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The verb ''vorsitzen'' first meant to sit in front of others or in the place of honour at table, and a vocabulary of 1482 glosses Latin ''presidere'' with it.^(DWB|26, 1587) The range of the verb narrowed sharply in modern German, to leading a meeting.^(DWB|26, 1587)^(Pfeifer 1993) Adelung, around 1800, speaks of presiding in a court or at a disputation, while today the word mostly names the head of an association, party, committee or board.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 15th century – ''vorsitzen'' “to preside” and ''Vorsitzer'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1482 – A Latin–German vocabulary glosses ''presidere'' with ''vorsitzen''.^(DWB|26, 1587)

+ * 16th century – ''Vorsitz'' “chairmanship” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1777 – Rabener uses ''Vorsitzender''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|chairman]] or [[m|en|chairperson]], the person who leads an association, party, committee or board, or holds the leading position among several people in charge: ''Der Verein hat eine neue Vorsitzende gewählt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|president]], as of a court or an assembly.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vorsitzen]]

+ * [[Vorsitz]]

+ * [[sitzen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Duden lists the word under ''Vorsitzende'', a form that serves for both sexes with the article, while Wiktionary has it under ''Vorsitzender''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}