Interesse German · revision 35166

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=15th century|origins=la intersum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˌɪn.təˈrɛsə/, /ɪnˈtrɛsə/, /ˌɪn.tɛɐ̯ˈrɛsə/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria: [ˌɪn.tɐ̯-]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Interesse''' ''n'' (genitive Interesses, plural Interessen)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-med|intersum|alt=interesse|t=loss arising from a liability to compensate; interest]], a legal term of Medieval Latin, recorded from the 13th century.^(Kluge 2011|448)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB) It is the infinitive of [[la|intersum|t=to be between; to take part; to matter]] used as a noun; the verb is made of [[m|la|inter|t=between]] and [[m|la|sum|t=to be]].^(Kluge 2011|448)^(Pfeifer 1993) In law the impersonal “quod interest” meant “what is at stake, what matters”, especially in claims for damages;^(Kluge 2011|448) Kluge mentions the view that this use began as “quod in re est” “what lies in the matter”, and was only later attached to [[m|la|inter]].^(Kluge 2011|448)

+

+ The legal meaning lived on above all in [[fr|intérêt]], from [[m|la|intersum|alt=interest|t=it is of importance]], and French usage shaped the senses of the word in neighbouring languages, German among them.^(Kluge 2011|448)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The same Latin word gave [[en|interest]] and [[sv|intresse]].^(Kluge 2011|448)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Middle High German ''interesse'' meant the loss suffered through neglect or inability to work, which had to be made good.^(Lexer 1872|1, 1445)^(Köbler MHD) A 15th-century glossary renders it as ''schaden'' “damage”, and a Nuremberg ordinance orders a man who has lamed another to pay half the costs and ''interesse''.^(DWB|10, 2147) The ''Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch'' has its first example from 1520.^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the legal sense came two opposite uses in the 16th century: “interest on a loan”, from the point of view of the debtor who pays, and “profit, advantage”, from that of the creditor.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Paul 2002) The second was the usual sense in the 16th and 17th centuries, often with a selfish tinge, “regard for one's own advantage”; from it come phrases such as ''im eigenen Interesse'' and ''seine Interessen wahrnehmen''.^(DFWB)^(Pfeifer 1993) Lessing still wrote of repaying money ''mit Interessen'' “with interest”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The sense “attention, concern, the wish to know about something” was taken from French ''intérêt'' in the 18th century, together with ''interessant'' (1767).^(DFWB)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) In the second half of the century it became a term of philosophy and aesthetics: Kant defined it in 1790 as the pleasure we connect with the idea of a thing's existence, and called the taste for the beautiful a pleasure free of any interest.^(Paul 2002) The verb [[interessieren]] is from the 17th century (Paul has it from 1590), the participle ''interessiert'' “intent on one's advantage” from the 16th, and ''Interessent'' from 1609.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Hungarian took the word as ''interes'' “interest on money” in 1569.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – Medieval Latin ''interesse'' is used as a legal term.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB)

+ * 15th century – ''interesse'' appears in German legal texts.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|10, 2147)

+ * 1520 – First example in the ''Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch''.^(DFWB)

+ * 16th century – The senses “interest on money” and “advantage” develop.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1569 – Hungarian borrows the word as ''interes''.^(LWP)

+ * 18th century – The sense “attention, concern” comes in from French.^(DFWB)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1790 – Kant makes it a term of aesthetics in the ''Critique of Judgement''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|attention|alt=Attention]], [[m|en|interest]], concern for something or someone: ''Sie verfolgte die Debatte mit großem Interesse.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(usually plural)'' An inclination, a liking, a pursuit one enjoys: ''Wir haben viele gemeinsame Interessen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Wish to buy or obtain something: ''Haben Sie noch Interesse an dem Fahrrad?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # What is of benefit to someone; [[m|en|advantage]]: ''im Interesse der Kinder handeln''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(usually plural)'' Aims, concerns, the matters someone cares about: ''die Interessen der Mieter vertreten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(plural, obsolete)'' Interest on money.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[interessieren]]

+ * [[Interessent]]

+ * [[Desinteresse]]

+ * [[Interessengemeinschaft]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[interessant]]

+ * [[Essenz]]

+ * [[en|interest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}