Sohn German · revision 35203

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Hildebrandslied|origins=ine-pro *suHnús}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zoːn/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria: /soːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Sohn''' ''m'' (genitive Sohnes or Sohns, plural Söhne, diminutive Söhnchen n or Söhnlein n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle High German had the plural ''süne'', in older and Central German ''sune'', ''sun''.^(Lexer 1872|2, 1302) Low and Central German also had weak forms, such as the accusative ''sonen''.^(DWB|16, 1419)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sun]], [[inh|goh|sunu]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*sunu]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sunuz|t=son]].^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃|tr=sunus]], [[non|sonr]], [[ang|sunu]], [[ofs|sunu]] and [[osx|sunu]], and it lives on in [[nl|zoon]], [[en|son]] and [[sv|son]].^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Orel 2003)

+

+ It continues [[ine-pro|*suHnús|t=son]], literally “one who has been born”, formed with an n-suffix from the root [[ine-pro|*sewH-|t=to give birth]].^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[sa|सूनु|tr=sūnú]], [[lt|sūnus|alt=sūnùs]], [[cu|сꙑнъ|tr=synŭ]] and [[ru|сын|tr=syn]], and with other suffixes [[grc|υἱός|tr=huiós]], [[xto|se]] and [[txb|soy]]; the root itself is seen in [[sa|सूते|tr=sū́te|t=gives birth]] and [[sga|suth|t=fruit, birth]].^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Pfeifer 1993) The short vowel of the Germanic word is irregular beside the long one of these languages;^(Kluge 2011|856)^(DWB|16, 1419) Orel and Wiktionary explain it by a shortening before the accent.^(Orel 2003)^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer notes that the formation sets the word apart from the other kinship terms, [[Vater]], [[Mutter]], [[Tochter]] and [[Bruder]], and suggests that it may have replaced an older word that was lost.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ In the oldest texts the word is still a u-stem; after the final vowel was lost it passed into the i-stems.^(EWA|8, 1383) The modern /o/ for older /u/ arose before the nasal in Central and Low German, as in [[Sonne]] and [[Wonne]], and replaced the form with /u/ in the written language in the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|8, 1383)^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|16, 1419)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sunu'' is recorded from the 8th century; the oldest texts, the ''Hildebrandslied'', Isidor and the Weissenburg Catechism, keep the old inflection.^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|8, 1383) Besides “son” it rendered Latin ''filius'', ''natus'' and ''proles'', and formed phrases such as ''mannes sunu'' “Son of Man” and ''des meres sun'' for Latin ''fluctigena'' “born of the sea”.^(EWA|8, 1383)^(Schützeichel 2012|322) Middle High German ''sun'' could also mean a crown prince and the male young of an animal.^(Lexer 1872|2, 1302)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Luther's Bible gave ''der verlorene Sohn'' (Luke 15), ''Gottes Sohn'' and ''des Menschen Sohn'', and the familiar address ''mein Sohn'' (Matthew 9:2), which can show superiority.^(Paul 2002) The word also expresses close belonging to a place, a people or a time, as in Hölderlin's ''der Sohn des Nordens'' and Schiller's ''der flüchtige Sohn der Stunde'';^(Paul 2002) Schiller's ''keines Menschen Sohn'' means “nobody”.^(Paul 2002) It appears in firm names (''Schneider und Sohn''), and horse breeders speak of a stallion's sons.^(Paul 2002) In south-western Germany ''Söhnin'' has meant “daughter-in-law”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''sunu'' in the ''Hildebrandslied'' and Isidor.^(Kluge 2011|856)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1418 – ''den sonen mit dem vader'' in a Dance of Death.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|16, 1419)

+ * 16th century – ''sohn'' with /o/ replaces ''sun'' in the written language.^(DWB|16, 1419)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|son]], a male child in relation to his parents: ''ihr jüngster Sohn studiert in Leipzig''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A man shaped by a place or a community: ''ein berühmter Sohn der Stadt Bonn''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(Christianity)'' ''Sohn Gottes'', Jesus Christ, the second person of the [[m|en|Trinity]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(familiar)'' A form of address for a younger man: ''hör gut zu, mein Sohn''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Stiefsohn]]

+ * [[Schwiegersohn]]

+ * [[Pflegesohn]]

+ * [[Menschensohn]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|son]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Der verlorene Sohn'', after the parable in Luke 15, is someone who disappoints his parents' expectations, or someone not seen or heard from for a long time.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}