Universität German · revision 35173

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1365, Vienna|origins=la ūniversus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Germany: /ˌuni.vɛʁ.ziˈtɛːt/^(Wiktionary)

+ * /ˌuni.vɛʁ.ziˈteːt/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern-Germany: /ˌuni.vɛʁ.siˈteːt/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Switzerland: /ˌuni.vɛʁ.siˈtɛːt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Universität''' ''f'' (genitive Universität, plural Universitäten)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle High German and Early New High German wrote ''universitet''; the spelling with ⟨ä⟩ appears in the 16th century and displaced the older one in the 17th.^(DWB|24, 1076)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|universitēt]], [[bor|la-med|ūniversitās|t=corporation (of masters and students)]], borrowed in the 14th century.^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB) The Latin noun meant “the whole, totality”, in Late Latin law also “community, corporation, guild”, and in the Middle Ages the self-governing community of teachers and students.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|888) It is formed from [[la|ūniversus|t=whole, all together]], from [[m|la|ūnus|t=one]] and [[m|la|versus|t=turned]], the past participle of [[m|la|vertō|t=to turn]].^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ The same word is [[nl|universiteit]], [[en|university]], [[fr|université]] and [[sv|universitet]].^(Kluge 2011|943)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is a Vienna document of 1365: the schoolmaster is to attend an anniversary ''mit ganzer universitet der maister, studenten und schueller'' (“with the whole body of masters, students and pupils”).^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002) Here it still meant the corporation rather than the institution.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Soon after, in the second half of the 14th century, it was transferred to the institution of learning: a Vienna text of 1370 speaks of ''der universitet und gefreyten schuln ze Wienn''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB) From the 16th century it also meant the building and the course of study.^(Pfeifer 1993) Early New High German also said ''hohe Schule'' or [[Akademie]], and Simon Rot glosses it in 1571 as a high school to which the students of a whole country go.^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) Paracelsus uses it for “the universe”.^(DWB|24, 1076)

+

+ Students made fun of it with distortions such as ''Unverstandsmühle'' “mill of ignorance” (1782).^(Paul 2002) The short form [[Uni]] appears in writing in the 20th century, for instance in Fallada (1934).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) German passed the word on to [[pl|uniwersytet]] and [[ru|университет|tr=universitét]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1365 – First record, in a Vienna document.^(DFWB)

+ * 1370 – Used of the institution in Vienna.^(DFWB)

+ * 16th century – Used of the building and of study; the spelling with ⟨ä⟩ appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|24, 1076)

+ * 1571 – Simon Rot glosses it as ''Hohe schul''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''Universität'' displaces ''universitet''.^(DWB|24, 1076)

+ * 1934 – ''Uni'' in Fallada.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1965 – The Technische Hochschule München becomes a ''Technische Universität''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|university]], an institution of higher teaching and research divided into faculties: ''an der Universität Leipzig Chemie studieren''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The whole body of teachers and students of a university.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # The [[m|en|building]] or buildings of a university.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Uni]]

+ * [[universitär]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[universal]]

+ * [[Universum]]

+ * [[en|university]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}