Wasser German · revision 35113

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 765, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *wédōr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvasər/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Wasser''' ''n'' (genitive Wassers, plural Wasser or Wässer, diminutive Wässerchen n or Wässerlein n)^(Wiktionary)

+ The regular plural has no umlaut;^(DWB|27, 2295) ''Wässer'' is found occasionally from the 16th century and more often from the 17th, partly under the influence of ''Gewässer''.^(DWB|27, 2295) Today ''Wässer'' is the plural for kinds of water and watery liquids.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|wazzer]], [[inh|goh|wazzar]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*watar]], [[inh|gem-pro|*watōr|t=water]].^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) West Germanic has the same r-stem in [[osx|watar]], [[ang|wæter]] and [[ofs|weter]], and in the modern [[nl|water]] and [[en|water]].^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Pfeifer 1993) North and East Germanic have an n-stem instead: [[got|𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉|tr=watō]] and [[non|vatn]], whence [[sv|vatten]].^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ Both continue an Indo-European noun with /r/ in the nominative and accusative and /n/ in the other cases, a pattern best kept in [[hit|watar]], genitive [[m|hit|wetenaš]].^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[grc|ὕδωρ|tr=húdōr]], [[sa|उदन्|tr=udán]], [[cu|вода|tr=voda]] and [[sga|uisce]], and with a nasal infix [[lt|vanduo|alt=vanduõ]].^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary reconstructs [[ine-pro|*wédōr]], a collective of [[m|ine-pro|*wódr̥]].^(Wiktionary) Kroonen notes that the Germanic forms point to the o-grade, while an e-grade survives in the name of the Swedish lake Vättern.^(Kroonen 2013) The animal name [[Otter]] belongs to the same word.^(Kluge 2011|973)^(Duden 7 2020|921)

+

+ Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary see in the noun a dental extension of a root [[ine-pro|*au̯-|t=to wet, moisten, flow]], also found in [[la|unda|t=wave]] and [[m|sa|उनत्ति|tr=unátti|t=wets]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|921) Kluge only raises the question whether such verbs continue a verb underlying the noun.^(Kluge 2011|973)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''wazzar'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in the Isidor translation, the Monsee Fragments, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|374) It meant “water” and also “body of water, river, sea”.^(Schützeichel 2012|374)^(Köbler AHD) In Middle High German ''wazzer'' was the usual word for a river, where modern German says ''Fluss''.^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872|3, 707)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Luther still calls the four rivers of Eden ''Hauptwasser''.^(Paul 2002) The word was also used for fluids of the body, such as urine and saliva, and often for tears from Middle High German on, and since about 1300 for prepared liquids used as drinks or medicines, as in ''gebranntes Wasser'' “spirits”, ''Kirschwasser'' and ''Kölnisch Wasser''.^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD) Since the 16th century it has also measured the clarity of gems, as in ''ein Diamant reinsten Wassers'', which Jean Paul applied to poets ''vom ersten Wasser''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Many phrases have dated first records.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) ''Stille Wasser sind tief'' “still waters run deep” is found from the 16th century, ''sich über Wasser halten'' from the 1730s, ''Wasser auf seine Mühle'' from the 18th century and ''ins Wasser fallen'' “to be called off” probably only from the end of the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) ''Jemandem das Wasser abgraben'' “to cut the ground from under someone's feet” dates from about 1900.^(Pfeifer 1993) Hebrew ''kirsh'' “kirsch” is among the German loans.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 10th century – Old High German ''wazzarsuht'' “dropsy” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1300 – ''Wasser'' is used for prepared liquids for drinking and healing.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – ''Stille Wasser sind tief'' is recorded, and the umlauted plural ''Wässer'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|27, 2295)

+ * 1733–1739 – ''sich über Wasser halten'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1791 – Girtanner coins ''Wasserstoff'' “hydrogen” after French ''hydrogène''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1900 – ''jemandem das Wasser abgraben'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|water]], the clear liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen: ''Ich trinke lieber Wasser als Saft.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The water of a sea, lake or river: ''Das Wasser im See ist noch kalt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A body of water, such as a river or lake (plural ''Wasser'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A watery liquid, often alcoholic, such as a fruit [[m|en|brandy]] or a toilet water (plural ''Wässer'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Fluid that forms in the body; colloquially [[m|en|sweat]], euphemistically [[m|en|urine]], and tears.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Short for [[Mineralwasser]] or [[Tafelwasser]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gewässer]]

+ * [[wässern]]

+ * [[wässerig]]

+ * [[verwässern]]

+ * [[Wasserfall]]

+ * [[Wasserkopf]]

+ * [[Wassermann]]

+ * [[Wasserstoff]]

+ * [[Wassersucht]]

+ * [[Hochwasser]]

+ * [[Grundwasser]]

+ * [[Trinkwasser]]

+ * [[Kirschwasser]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Otter]]

+ * [[waschen]]

+ * [[Wodka]]

+ * [[Whisky]]

+ * [[en|water]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Jemandem nicht das Wasser reichen können'' “not to be a patch on someone” goes back to the medieval custom of having servants hand water round for washing the hands at meals.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Mit Wasser kochen'' “to be no better than others” first referred to poor households that cooked with water instead of wine or broth.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}