sitzen German · revision 35101

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzɪtsn̩/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany: /ˈzɪtsən/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Bavaria: /ˈsitsn̩/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sitzen''' (class 5 strong, third-person singular present sitzt, past tense saß, past participle gesessen, past subjunctive säße, auxiliary haben or sein)^(Wiktionary)

+ The perfect has been formed with both ''haben'' and ''sein'' since Middle High German; standard German uses ''haben'', while southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland use ''sein''.^(DWB|16, 1280)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sitzen]], [[inh|goh|sizzen]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*sittjan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sitjaną|t=to sit]].^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[osx|sittian]], [[gml|sitten]], [[ofs|sitta]], [[ang|sittan]] (now [[en|sit]]) and [[non|sitja]], with [[nl|zitten]] and [[sv|sitta]];^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Pfeifer 1993) [[got|𐍃𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=sitan]] has no /j/ in the present, which Kluge and Pfeifer take as a secondary loss.^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The present in /-j-/ has an exact match in [[sga|saidid|t=sits]] and [[grc|ἕζομαι|tr=hézomai|t=I sit, sit down]], from [[ine-pro|*sed-|t=to sit]];^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Wiktionary) the root is also in [[la|sedeō|t=to sit]], [[lt|sėdėti|alt=sėdė́ti]], [[cu|сѣдѣти|tr=sěděti]] and [[ru|сидеть|tr=sidetʹ]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|786) Kluge sees it as an extension of a root [[m|ine-pro|*es-|t=to sit]], to which the irregular verb [[sein]] may also belong.^(Kluge 2011|852) Its causative is [[setzen]], and many nouns from the same root name the place where one sits or stays: [[Sessel]], [[Sattel]], [[siedeln]], and, more remotely, [[Ast]] and [[Nest]].^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|786)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sizzen'' is recorded from the 8th century in glosses and in Isidor, the Monsee fragments, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|7, 1302)^(Kluge 2011|852) It meant to sit or be enthroned, to be situated, to dwell or live somewhere, to stay, and also to sit down and settle; the Old High German phrases include ''zi muose sizzen'' “to dine” and ''frô sizzen'' “to rejoice”.^(EWA|7, 1302)^(Schützeichel 2012|283)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old sense “to sit down” was common into the 18th century (Wieland), lives on in Swiss German and in ''aufsitzen'' and ''absitzen'', and explains the perfect with ''sein''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) In Middle High German the verb also meant to own, to hold office as judge or ruler, and to be subject;^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872|2, 944)^(EWA|7, 1302) “to dwell” lasted into Luther's Bible and Schiller.^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872|2, 944)^(EWA|7, 1302) Stieler (1691) records ''er sitzt'' “he is in prison” and ''sitzen bleiben'' of a girl not asked to dance, then left unmarried;^(Paul 2002) staying down a class at school is a later colloquial use.^(Paul 2002) Lessing has ''sitzen'' for sitting as a model for a painter.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ''Sitzung'' meant “sitting down” in the 15th century and then a meeting of a body, from the 18th century also a sitting for a portrait.^(Duden 7 2020|786)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Sitzfleisch'' (17th century, ''kein Sitzfleisch haben'' from 1691) is the staying power to sit still;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) ''vorsitzen'' “to preside” is from the 15th century, and ''Vorsitzender'' (second half of the 18th century) replaced the older ''Vorsitzer''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|786) Hungarian ''ziccer'' “great chance” (1921) is a German loan from this family.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''sizzen''.^(Kluge 2011|852)^(EWA|7, 1302)

+ * 15th century – ''Sitzung'' “sitting down”;^(Duden 7 2020|786)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''vorsitzen'' “to preside”.^(Duden 7 2020|786)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''Sitzefleisch''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|786)

+ * 1691 – Stieler records ''er sitzt'' “he is in prison”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''Sitzung'' for sitting for a portrait.^(Duden 7 2020|786)

+ * Second half of the 18th century – ''Vorsitzender''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1921 – Hungarian ''ziccer'' is first recorded.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|sit]], rest on one's buttocks with the upper body upright: ''Die Kinder sitzen schon am Tisch.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Switzerland)'' To sit down.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(of animals)'' To be perched or settled somewhere: ''Eine Amsel sitzt auf dem Zaun.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To live and work in a place; to have one's seat: ''Die Firma sitzt in Bremen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To be a member of a body: ''im Stadtrat sitzen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To be in [[m|en|prison]], do time.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be located somewhere: ''Der Fleck sitzt genau auf dem Ärmel.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(of clothes)'' To [[m|en|fit]]: ''Die Jacke sitzt gut.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To be learned thoroughly; to hit home, have the intended effect: ''Die Bemerkung saß.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Sitz]]

+ * [[Sitzung]]

+ * [[Sitzfleisch]]

+ * [[besitzen]]

+ * [[absitzen]]

+ * [[aufsitzen]]

+ * [[aussitzen]]

+ * [[beisitzen]]

+ * [[einsitzen]]

+ * [[ersitzen]]

+ * [[festsitzen]]

+ * [[nachsitzen]]

+ * [[vorsitzen]]

+ * [[Vorsitzender]]

+ * [[sitzenbleiben]]

+ * [[sitzenlassen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[setzen]]

+ * [[Sessel]]

+ * [[Sattel]]

+ * [[siedeln]]

+ * [[Nest]]

+ * [[en|sit]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sitzen bleiben'' is said of a pupil who has to repeat a year, ''jemanden sitzen lassen'' is to leave someone in the lurch, and ''auf etwas sitzen bleiben'' to be unable to sell something.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}