Situation German · revision 35171

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1589|origins=la situs}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [zitʊ̯aˈt͡si̯oːn]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Situation''' ''f'' (genitive Situation, plural Situationen)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|situation|t=position, site]], borrowed in the late 16th century, at first sometimes with Latin or French inflection.^(Kluge 2011|852)^(DFWB)^(Duden 7 2020|786) Kluge and Duden derive the French noun from [[m|fr|situer|t=to put in the right place]], from [[la-med|situō|t=to place]];^(Kluge 2011|852)^(Duden 7 2020|786) Pfeifer takes it as formed after [[la-med|situātiō]] from [[fro|situé|t=situated]], from [[la-lat|situātus]].^(Pfeifer 1993) The source is [[la|situs|t=position, site]], which Kluge explains as the past participle of [[m|la|sinō|t=to let, set down]].^(Kluge 2011|852)

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+ The same word is [[nl|situatie]], [[en|situation]] and [[sv|situation]].^(Kluge 2011|852)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record (1589) uses it of the varied lie of the land, mountains, rivers and lakes; a text of 1616 speaks of ''die Situation der Oerther'', the situation of the places.^(DFWB) The first sense, “geographical position, site, area”, was mostly military.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The geographical sense lasted into the 19th century, and ''Situationsplan'' “site plan” into the 20th.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) From the middle of the 18th century, following French, the word meant the state of affairs or circumstances someone is in, and in drama a constellation of figures, a scene: Lessing writes in 1767 of laughter that arises from situations.^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) Hence ''Situationskomik'' and ''Herr der Situation sein'' “to be master of the situation”.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002) Jaspers coined ''Grenzsituation'' in 1919.^(Paul 2002)

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+ From French ''situé'' came [[situiert]] (17th century), used of persons from about 1800 in ''wohlsituiert'' “well-off”, and [[situieren]] is recorded in 1838.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The adjective [[situativ]] is recent.^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1589 – First record, of the lie of the land.^(DFWB)

+ * 1616 – ''die Situation der Oerther''.^(DFWB)

+ * Mid-18th century – The sense “circumstances, state of affairs” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB)

+ * 1767 – Lessing uses it of dramatic situations.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1813 – Campe records ''situiert'' of persons.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1919 – Jaspers coins ''Grenzsituation''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The circumstances someone is in at a given moment, their [[m|en|position]]: ''Sie hat die heikle Situation gut gemeistert''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The general state of affairs: ''die politische Situation im Land''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(geography)'' A site [[m|en|plan]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Situationskomik]]

+ * [[situativ]]

+ * [[Grenzsituation]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[situieren]]

+ * [[situiert]]

+ * [[en|situation]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}