erfolgreich German · revision 35201

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1826}}

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''erfolgreich''' (strong nominative masculine singular erfolgreicher, comparative erfolgreicher, superlative am erfolgreichsten)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound [[af|de|Erfolg|reich]], “rich in successes”.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)^(DWB2|8, 1727)

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+ The first part is a back-formation of the 17th century from [[erfolgen]] in the old sense “to attain, obtain”, perhaps influenced by [[fr|succès]] and [[m|fr|succéder]].^(Kluge 2011|254) The verb belongs to [[folgen]], whose origin is unexplained despite many attempts.^(Kluge 2011|254)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record in the revised Grimm dictionary is from 1826, describing many-sided and successful investigations of whole groups of diseases.^(DWB2|8, 1727) The older Grimm dictionary gives the adjective with the Latin gloss ''prosper'', and an adverbial example about successfully counteracting an evil.^(DWB|3, 804)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the start the word has had its two present senses: of people, distinguished by successes, and of actions and undertakings, having a positive result.^(DWB2|8, 1727) The quotations range from science (1826) to religion, with Oldenberg's ''Buddha'' (1881), and to machines that competed successfully with human labour in road building (1910).^(DWB2|8, 1727)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 17th century – The noun ''Erfolg'' appears.^(Kluge 2011|254)

+ * 1826 – First record of ''erfolgreich''.^(DWB2|8, 1727)

+ * 1881 – Oldenberg uses the superlative ''am erfolgreichsten''.^(DWB2|8, 1727)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|successful]]: having many successes: ''eine erfolgreiche Chirurgin''; in football, a forward who is ''erfolgreich'' has scored.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Having a positive [[m|en|result]]: ''ein erfolgreicher Versuch'', ''erfolgreiche Verhandlungen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[erfolgen]]

+ * [[folgen]]

+ * [[reich]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}