Stück German · revision 35104

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *stukkiją}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃtʏk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Stück''' ''n'' (genitive Stückes or Stücks, plural Stücke or Stücker or Stück, diminutive Stückchen n or Stücklein n or Stückerl n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Weak plural forms (''Stücken'') spread from the 17th century, starting from ''in Stücken'', and the strong forms only fully prevailed again around the middle of the 19th century.^(DWB|20, 197) After numbers the word is usually uninflected (''drei Stück''), and colloquial German also has a plural ''Stücker''.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|stücke]], [[inh|goh|stucki]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*stukkī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*stukkiją|t=piece, stump]].^(Kluge 2011|894)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|stukki]], [[gml|stücke]], [[dum|stucke]], [[ofs|stekk]], [[ang|stycce]] and [[non|stykki]], with [[nl|stuk]] and [[sv|stycke]]; it is not recorded in Gothic.^(Kluge 2011|894)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|20, 197)

+

+ Kluge connects it with [[Stock]], so that it first meant “something cut off”, perhaps a sheaf.^(Kluge 2011|894) Pfeifer and the Duden place both words, in the sense “something struck off”, with [[stoßen]], from [[ine-pro|*(s)teug-]], an extension of [[m|ine-pro|*(s)teu-|t=to push, strike]], and explain the Germanic form by expressive doubling of the consonant and a /j/ suffix.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|835)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The Grimms accept a common root with the word for “stick” but reject a direct derivation on grounds of meaning, rule out a link with [[stechen]], and compare [[sga|tocht|t=part, piece]] and [[lt|stungis|alt=stùngis|t=stump of a knife]].^(DWB|20, 197) Wiktionary also gives a derivation from [[gem-pro|*stikaną|t=to stick]] or its iterative.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''stucki'' is recorded from 765 in glosses and then in Notker, meaning a part, section or distance, a morsel or bite, a crust and a piece of gold;^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993) Notker writes ''stucchiu brotes'' “pieces of bread”.^(Paul 2002) Middle High German used it for a part, a section or article, a single whole object, a piece of farmland, a measure and a way of doing something.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “cut-off part” the word passed to “a self-contained part”, as in ''ein Stück Brot'' and [[Frühstück]], and to “a counted item”, as in ''fünf Stück Vieh''.^(Duden 7 2020|835) In Early New High German it also meant a section of a text (Luther's ''Stücke in Esther'') and a stretch of way; from Middle High German on it was a length of cloth, and in 1565 a coin.^(Paul 2002) From the 16th to the 18th century ''Stück'' meant a cannon, a piece of a battery, which survives in ''bestücken'' “to arm with guns” (18th century), later “to equip”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|835) the sense “play, stage work” dates from the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2020|835)

+

+ ''Stückwerk'' “piecework” (end of the 14th century) took its sense “something imperfect” from Luther's translation of Latin ''ex parte'' in 1 Corinthians 13:9.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|835) Pfeifer dates ''aus einem Stück'' to the 17th century and ''Stück für Stück'' to the 18th, after an older ''Stück vor Stück'', while Paul finds ''Stück für Stück'' in Hulsius in 1618.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The word was borrowed into the Slavic languages, as [[pl|sztuka]] and [[ru|штука|tr=štuka]];^(DWB|20, 197)^(Wiktionary) Hungarian ''stikli'' “daring prank” (1871) is a German loan.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''stucki'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * End of the 14th century – ''Stückwerk'' “piecework”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''stückeln'' “to cut into pieces”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''Stück'' “cannon”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|835) Luther's ''Stückwerk'' “imperfect thing”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|835)

+ * 1565 – ''Stück'' for a coin.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – Weak plurals such as ''Stücken'' spread.^(DWB|20, 197)

+ * 18th century – ''Stück'' “play”;^(Duden 7 2020|835)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''bestücken'' “to arm with guns”.^(Duden 7 2020|835)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Mid-19th century – The strong plural ''Stücke'' prevails again.^(DWB|20, 197)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|piece]] cut or broken off a whole: ''Das Glas zerbrach in viele Stücke.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|portion]] or section forming a unit of a whole, also a stretch of way: ''zwei Stück Torte'';^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''jemanden ein Stück begleiten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A quantity of a material forming a whole in its usual trade form: ''ein Stück Seife''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A single item, animal or plant counted among others of its kind, often untranslated: ''zehn Stück Vieh''; also a fine specimen.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(rare in the plural)'' A deed or [[m|en|prank]]: ''Da hast du dir ja ein Stück geleistet!''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial, derogatory)'' A person the speaker disapproves of.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|play]] for the stage; a piece of music.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' A [[m|en|cannon]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Short for [[Stücklohn]], piece rate.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[stückeln]]

+ * [[zerstückeln]]

+ * [[bestücken]]

+ * [[Stückwerk]]

+ * [[Stückgut]]

+ * [[Stücklohn]]

+ * [[stückweise]]

+ * [[Stückzahl]]

+ * [[Frühstück]]

+ * [[Grundstück]]

+ * [[Kunststück]]

+ * [[Meisterstück]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Stock]]

+ * [[stoßen]]

+ * [[Stuck]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Aus freien Stücken'' (older ''von freien Stücken'') means “of one's own accord”, and ''große Stücke auf jemanden halten'' “to think highly of someone”.^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Sich für jemanden in Stücke reißen lassen'' (colloquial) is to do anything for someone, and ''nur ein Stück Papier sein'' is said of something written down that nobody is bound to keep.^(Duden GWDS 1999) [[Stuck]] “stucco” is a doublet, borrowed through Italian.^(Wiktionary)^(Kluge 2011|894)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}