verstehen German · revision 35193

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *steh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fərˈʃteːən/, /fɛr-/, [fɐˈʃteː.ən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''verstehen''' (irregular strong, third-person singular present versteht, past tense verstand, past participle verstanden, past subjunctive verstände or verstünde, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|verstān]], [[inh|goh|firstān]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*frastān]], a West Germanic prefixed form of [[stehen]] with [[ver-]].^(Kluge 2011|957)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|904)^(Wiktionary) As with the simple verb, Old High German also had a strong form with a nasal infix and a dental extension, [[m|goh|firstantan]], beside the athematic one.^(DWB|25, 1660) The same verb is [[osx|farstandan]], [[ofs|forstān]], [[ang|forstandan]] and [[nl|verstaan]];^(Kluge 2011|957)^(DWB|25, 1660)^(Wiktionary DE) Old Norse [[m|non|forstanda]] is a loan, and Gothic has no such verb.^(Kluge 2011|957)^(DWB|25, 1660)^(Wiktionary DE) The simple verb goes back to [[ine-pro|*steh₂-|t=to stand]].^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ The starting point is evidently “to stand before”, but the prefixed verb is used figuratively from the beginning, so the details of the change of meaning can no longer be grasped;^(Kluge 2011|957) Kluge thinks of standing in front of an object and so perceiving it better.^(Kluge 2011|957) Duden and Wahrig call the origin of the sense unclear.^(Duden 7 2020|904)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''firstantan'' is found in glosses of the last quarter of the 8th century,^(Köbler AHD) and Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and Williram all use it.^(DWB|25, 1660) It already meant “to perceive, grasp with the mind, recognise”, but also “to stand in the way, bar”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|310) Old Saxon ''farstandan'' occurs in the ''Heliand''.^(DWB|25, 1660)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German the sense “to have clear ideas of something, be able to do it” was added, as in ''sein Handwerk verstehen'' “to know one's trade”;^(Duden 7 2020|904) the verb could also mean “to stop, cease”, “to represent, defend” and, reflexively, “to see sense”.^(Pfeifer 1993) A literal sense “to lapse by standing too long” survived into the 18th century in ''verstandene Pfänder'', forfeited pledges.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ''Jemandem etwas zu verstehen geben'' “to hint” is recorded by Maaler in 1561, ''das versteht sich'' by Stieler, and the intensified ''das versteht sich von selbst'' by Adelung.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Verstand]] (Old High German ''firstant'' “wisdom”) took its present sense in the 16th century,^(Pfeifer 1993) and ''einverstanden'' belongs to an 18th-century ''sich einverstehen'' “to agree”.^(Duden 7 2020|904) English has borrowed the noun ''Verstehen'' (1934) as a term for empathic understanding in the social sciences.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Last quarter of the 8th century – ''firstantan'' in Old High German glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 830 – Old Saxon ''farstandan'' in the ''Heliand''.^(DWB|25, 1660)

+ * Middle High German – The sense “to know how to do something”.^(Duden 7 2020|904)

+ * 1561 – Maaler records ''zu verstehen geben''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – ''Verstand'' takes its present meaning.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''einverstanden'' and ''Einverständnis''.^(Duden 7 2020|904)

+ * 1934 – English borrows ''Verstehen''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hear]] clearly what is said: ''Bei dem Wind konnte ich kein Wort verstehen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|understand]], grasp the sense of something: ''eine Anleitung nicht verstehen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|interpret]] in a particular way: ''Wie soll ich das verstehen?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sich verstehen als)'' To see oneself as: ''Sie versteht sich als Vermittlerin.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sich verstehen, commerce)'' Of prices, to be meant in a certain way: ''Die Preise verstehen sich ab Werk.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To put oneself in someone's place and understand them; to find someone's behaviour natural.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(sich verstehen mit)'' To [[m|en|get on]] well with someone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To know how to do something well, to master it; to know a lot about something: ''viel von Pferden verstehen'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''sich auf etwas verstehen'', to be expert at it.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sich verstehen zu, dated)'' To bring oneself to do something unwelcome.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Verstand]]

+ * [[verständig]]

+ * [[verständlich]]

+ * [[Verständnis]]

+ * [[einverstanden]]

+ * [[einverständlich]]

+ * [[Einverständnis]]

+ * [[missverstehen]]

+ * [[unverstanden]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[stehen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof'' (colloquial) is “I don't understand a thing”;^(Paul 2002) Paul quotes it from Fallada.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}