lernen German · revision 35124

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈlɛrnən/, [ˈlɛɐ̯nən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''lernen''' (third-person singular present lernt, past tense lernte, past participle gelernt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ Fischart and other writers of the 16th century spelt it ''lehrnen'' to show its link with ''lehren''.^(DWB|12, 762) After another infinitive the infinitive could stand for the participle: Goethe writes ''habe ich kennen lernen'' in ''Werther''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|lernen]], [[inh|goh|lernēn]] (Upper German [[m|goh|lirnēn]]), [[inh|gmw-pro|*liʀnōn|t=to learn]].^(Kluge 2011|573)^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same verb is [[osx|līnon]], which lost its /r/, [[ang|leornian]] (now [[en|learn]]) and [[ofs|lernia]].^(Kluge 2011|573)^(Pfeifer 1993) North Germanic and Dutch have no such verb and use the verb for “to teach” for both senses.^(DWB|12, 762)

+

+ Formally it belongs to the type of intransitive or inchoative verbs in -n- that is best developed in Gothic and Norse, so its sense was something like “to become knowing”.^(Kluge 2011|573)^(Paul 2002) It is a zero-grade formation beside [[lehren]], which serves as its causative,^(Kluge 2011|573)^(Pfeifer 1993) and belongs with the preterite-present [[got|𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃|tr=lais|t=I know]], properly “I have tracked down”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|509) Duden and Paul also connect [[List]] and [[leisten]], originally “to follow a track”.^(Duden 7 2020|509)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Köbler traces the group, with a question mark, to [[ine-pro|*leys-|t=track, furrow]].^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pfeifer dates ''lernēn'' and ''lirnēn'' to the 9th century and the prefixed ''gilernēn'' to the 8th.^(Pfeifer 1993) Köbler finds ''lirnēn'' in the Benedictine Rule of about 800 and ''lernēn'' in the Tatian (830).^(Köbler AHD) Its Old High German senses were “to learn, get to know, recognize” and also “to meditate”.^(Schützeichel 2012|204)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The use of ''lernen'' for ''lehren'' “to teach” is found in Central German from the 14th century^(Pfeifer 1993) and is still heard in colloquial speech: Lessing wrote ''das hat sie der Geier gelernt'' and Schiller ''lern' mich die Pfiffe nicht''.^(Paul 2002) By the end of the 18th century it was regarded as dated and incorrect, and it is now regional or nonstandard.^(Wiktionary DE) The past participle ''gelernt'' is used as an adjective with an active sense, “trained”, against the general rule, opposite ''ungelernt''.^(Paul 2002) [[verlernen]] “to forget what one has learned” dates from the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|509) Middle High German had ''lernære'' “pupil”, which Sanders called rare, and [[Lerner]] became common in the 20th century in language teaching under the influence of English ''learner''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|509)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''gilernēn''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 800 – ''lirnēn'' in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 830 – ''lernēn'' in the Old High German Tatian.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 14th century – ''lernen'' is used for “to teach” in Central German.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – Fischart writes ''lehrnen''.^(DWB|12, 762)

+ * 17th century – ''verlernen'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1883 – Nietzsche calls people ''schlechte Lerner''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 20th century – ''Lerner'' spreads after English ''learner''.^(Duden 7 2020|509)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To acquire [[m|en|knowledge]], to [[m|en|study]]: ''Sie lernt jeden Abend für die Prüfung.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|memorize]]: ''ein Lied auswendig lernen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To acquire a [[m|en|skill]]: ''Sie lernt gerade Ski fahren.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To come to an attitude or behaviour through experience: ''Er hat gelernt, geduldig zu sein.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To learn a trade, train as: ''Sie hat Bäckerin gelernt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, nonstandard)'' To [[m|en|teach]].^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Lerner]]

+ * [[erlernen]]

+ * [[verlernen]]

+ * [[anlernen]]

+ * [[auslernen]]

+ * [[kennenlernen]]

+ * [[umlernen]]

+ * [[gelernt]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lehren]]

+ * [[Lehre]]

+ * [[List]]

+ * [[leisten]]

+ * [[en|learn]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}