Tod German · revision 35135

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century|origins=gem-pro *dawjaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /toːt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Tod''' ''m'' (genitive Todes or Tods, plural Tode)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle High German had the plural ''tōde'' and also ''tœde'' with umlaut;^(DWB|21, 537) ''töde'' was still used in Early New High German.^(DWB|21, 537)

+ The spelling ''Todt'' was also used in New High German.^(DWB|21, 537)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|tōt]], [[inh|goh|tōd]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*dauþu]], [[inh|gem-pro|*dauþuz|t=death]].^(Kluge 2011|919)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|dōð]], [[ang|dēaþ]], the source of [[en|death]], [[ofs|dāth]], [[non|dauðr]] and [[got|𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌿𐍃|tr=dauþus]]; it continues in [[nl|dood]] and [[sv|död]].^(Kluge 2011|919)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ It is an abstract noun formed with the suffix [[gem-pro|*-þuz]] from the verb [[m|gem-pro|*dawjaną|t=to die]], preserved in [[non|deyja]].^(Kluge 2011|919)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) Middle High German still had a related verb [[m|gmh|touwen|t=to die]], and the adjective [[tot]] belongs to the same family.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ Outside Germanic the closest match in meaning is [[grc|ἀποθνῄσκω|tr=apothnḗiskō|t=I die]], from [[ine-pro|*dʰwenə-]], and perhaps [[la|fūnus|t=funeral]] and [[sga|duine|t=human being]], “mortal”.^(Kluge 2011|919)^(Paul 2002) Kluge relates these words to [[ine-pro|*dʰeu-|t=to breathe]], the root of [[Tier]], with dying as “breathing out one's life”, but calls the details unclear; [[lt|dvėsti|alt=dvė̃sti|t=to die (of animals)]] beside [[m|lt|dvėsuoti|alt=dvėsúoti|t=to breathe heavily]] and [[cu|давити|tr=daviti|t=to strangle]] show a similar shift.^(Kluge 2011|919) Kroonen reconstructs [[ine-pro|*dʰóu(H)-tu-]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kluge dates the word to the 8th century.^(Kluge 2011|919) Old High German ''tōd'' “death” is used in the Isidor, the Muspilli, the Ludwigslied, Otfrid and Notker, in phrases such as ''in tōde betuon'' “to let die” and ''mit tōdu weigen'' “to put to death”.^(Schützeichel 2012|332)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German ''tōt'' could also mean a dead person or a corpse, a violent death and the death penalty.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD) From Middle High German on, ''Tod-'' as the first part of a compound often only intensifies: ''Todfeind'' “mortal enemy”, ''todkrank'' “mortally ill” (16th century), ''todmüde'' “dead tired” (early 18th century).^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Death is often personified, after the biblical image, as in ''wo ist dein Stachel, Tod?'' (1 Corinthians 15:55),^(Paul 2002) and the figure appears as a skeleton with a [[Sense]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE) Paul Celan's ''Todesfuge'' made ''der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland'' a byword for the death camps.^(Paul 2002) ''Der Schwarze Tod'' is the plague and ''der weiße Tod'' death in an avalanche or from freezing in snow.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''tōd'' is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|919)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 16th century – ''todkrank'', ''Todesfall'' and ''Todesstrafe'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 17th century – ''Todesangst'' “fear of death” appears.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 18th century – ''todmüde'' “dead tired” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 1760 – ''es geht auf Tod und Leben'' “it is a matter of life and death” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|death]]: the end of life, the moment at which all vital functions stop: ''Nach dem Tod ihres Vaters zog sie nach Bremen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(literary)'' Death personified, imagined as a grim figure, the [[m|en|Grim Reaper]]: ''Der Tod klopfte an die Tür.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tödlich]]

+ * [[Todfeind]]

+ * [[Todsünde]]

+ * [[todkrank]]

+ * [[todmüde]]

+ * [[Todesangst]]

+ * [[Todesstrafe]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tot]]

+ * [[töten]]

+ * [[en|death]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Tod und Teufel'' means “all sorts of things or people” (''über Tod und Teufel reden''), and ''sich den Tod holen'' “to catch one's death” is an emotional exaggeration for catching a bad cold.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) The plural ''Tode'' is rare.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}