ähnlich German · revision 35118

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Old High German Isidor|origins=gem-pro *anagalīkaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɛːnlɪç/, [ˈʔɛːn.lɪç], [ˈʔeːn-]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Southern, also: [-liç]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Switzerland, also: [-liχ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ähnlich''' (strong nominative masculine singular ähnlicher, comparative ähnlicher, superlative am ähnlichsten)^(Wiktionary)

+ Umlauted forms prevail from the 14th century (''enleich'' in Johann von Neumarkt),^(DWB2|2, 87) and Luther writes ''ehnlich''.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|1, 196)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|anelich]] (also [[m|gmh|enlich]]), [[inh|goh|*analīh]], found only in derivatives such as [[m|goh|analīhhī|t=likeness]], beside [[m|goh|anagilīh|t=similar, equal]].^(Kluge 2011|23)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) This is [[inh|gem-pro|*anagalīkaz|t=similar]], formed from [[m|gem-pro|*ana|t=on]] and [[m|gem-pro|*galīkaz|t=like]] (see [[an]] and [[gleich]]).^(Kluge 2011|23)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 87) The same adjective is [[ang|anlīc]], [[non|álíkr]], [[dum|aengelijc]] and [[gml|ānelīk]], with the adverb [[got|𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍉|tr=analeikō|t=in the same way]].^(Kluge 2011|23)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 87)

+

+ Kluge explains it as “whose shape is close to it”, with the noun for “shape, body” that is also in [[Leiche]]; the explanation “nearly equal” is possible too, but he finds chronological and morphological difficulties in it.^(Kluge 2011|23) The modern form may be a blend with East Central German [[m|de|einlich]] of the 16th century, as Duden and Wahrig think;^(Duden 7 2007)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge takes that form as a reinterpretation, and Pfeifer cannot rule out the blend but does not find the derivation of the East Central German form from [[ein]] compelling.^(Kluge 2011|23)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 87) Wiktionary adds that the noun [[Ahn]] may have supported the spelling.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''anagilīh'' is first found in Isidor at the end of the 8th century,^(Köbler AHD) which renders Genesis 1:26 as ''duoemes mannan uns anachiliihhan'', “let us make man like us”.^(DWB2|2, 87) Middle High German ''anelich'' “similar, equal” is recorded from the last quarter of the 12th century.^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 17th century ''ähnlich'' could still mean “equal, identical”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 87) Paul thinks mathematics, Kepler among others, played a part in separating it from ''gleich''.^(Paul 2002) Adelung defines ''ähnlich'' as agreeing in several features, ''gleich'' as agreeing in all, and notes the mathematical use for figures with the same proportions.^(Adelung 1793) The phrase ''das sieht ihm ähnlich'' “that is typical of him” is recorded by Adelung in 1774.^(Paul 2002) [[Ähnlichkeit]] dates from about 1375 and became common in the 16th century,^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) and [[ähneln]] (1652) replaced the older ''ähnlichen'', which Goethe and Jean Paul still used.^(Paul 2002)^(Kluge 2011|23)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 8th century – Old High German ''anagilīh'' in Isidor.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|2, 87)

+ * Last quarter of the 12th century – Middle High German ''anelich''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * c. 1375 – ''Ähnlichkeit'' in Johann von Neumarkt.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – East Central German ''einlich'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 87)

+ * Early 17th century – The sense “equal” is lost.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1652 – ''ähneln'' is first recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1774 – Adelung records ''das sieht ihm ähnlich''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|similar]], alike in certain features: ''Die beiden Schwestern sind sich sehr ähnlich.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''etwas sieht jemandem ähnlich'' ''(colloquial)'': something is [[m|en|typical]] of someone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # As a preposition with the dative: like, comparable to: ''Ähnlich einem Krimi beginnt das Buch mit einem Mord.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ähneln]]

+ * [[Ähnlichkeit]]

+ * [[unähnlich]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gleich]]

+ * [[an]]

+ * [[Leiche]]

+ * [[en|alike]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ An obsolete adjective ''ähnlich'' (Old High German ''anolîh'') meant “inherited from one's grandparents, ancestral”, from [[Ahn]]; it is found in legal texts into the 17th century and in Voss in 1772.^(DWB2|2, 87)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}