aktuell German · revision 35094

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1727|origins=la agō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /akˈtu̯ɛl/, [ʔäktuˈɛl], [ʔäkˈtʋɛl]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''aktuell''' (strong nominative masculine singular aktueller, comparative aktueller, superlative am aktuellsten)^(Wiktionary)

+ It was spelled ''actuell'' until the beginning of the 20th century.^(Kluge 2011|26)^(DWB2|2, 180)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|actuel|t=real, present, effective]],^(Kluge 2011|26)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB) from [[la-lat|āctuālis|t=active, effective]], formed from [[m|la|āctus|t=a doing, act]], from [[m|la|agō|t=to drive, do]].^(Kluge 2011|26)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 180) The same word is [[nl|actueel]] and [[en|actual]].^(Kluge 2011|26)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It was borrowed in the early 18th century as a learned and philosophical word meaning “real, actual”, as opposed to “potential” or “imagined”.^(DFWB)^(Pfeifer 1993) The first record is ''eine actuelle und keine eingebildete Kranckheit'' (“a real and not an imagined illness”) in Sperander's dictionary of fashionable words (1727).^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|2, 180)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Kluge describes the development as going from “real” through “real at present” to “important at the present moment”, with the newspapers of the 19th century playing a large part.^(Kluge 2011|26) The sense “present, current” is found in dictionaries from about 1801 (Campe);^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) it was rare in the 18th century, and Goethe does not use the word.^(Paul 2002) In the second half of the 19th century it became a fashionable word of the press, meaning “topical, up to date”,^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) and it is now also used for “fashionable, in vogue”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The noun [[Aktualität]] was taken from [[fr|actualité]] in the 19th century (Kaltschmidt, 1843), and [[aktualisieren]] is recorded from 1856.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2014|110)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1727 – First record, in the sense “real”.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1801 – Dictionaries record the sense “present, current”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1843 – ''Aktualität'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1856 – ''aktualisieren'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Second half of the 19th century – It becomes a newspaper word for “topical”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 20th century – The spelling with ⟨k⟩ replaces ''actuell''.^(Kluge 2011|26)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|topical]], of present interest, relevant to the immediate present: ''ein aktuelles Problem''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # [[m|en|current]], present; up to date: the current price list, the latest edition.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(fashion, business)'' The newest, fashionable: ''Dieses Jahr sind Karos aktuell.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(technical)'' Actually present, realized (as opposed to potential).^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)^(DWB2|2, 180)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Aktualität]]

+ * [[aktualisieren]]

+ * [[Aktualisierung]]

+ * [[hochaktuell]]

+ * [[tagesaktuell]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Akt]]

+ * [[agieren]]

+ * [[aktiv]]

+ * [[en|actual]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}