schlagen German · revision 35222

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʃlaːɡŋ̩/, /ˈʃlaːɡn̩/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''schlagen''' (class 6 strong, third-person singular present schlägt, past tense schlug, past participle geschlagen, past subjunctive schlüge, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older infinitive was ''schlahen'' or ''schlahn'', still usual in Early New High German and found in dialects today.^(Paul 2002)

+ Herder still rhymed ''schlahn'' in a poem after Simon Dach.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|slahen]], [[inh|goh|slahan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*slahaną|t=to strike]].^(Kluge 2011|807)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽|tr=slahan]], [[non|slá]], [[ang|slēan]], [[ofs|slā]] and [[osx|slahan]], continued in [[nl|slaan]], [[en|slay]] and [[sv|slå]].^(Kluge 2011|807)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Orel 2003)

+

+ The /g/ of the modern verb is not original: Germanic had a grammatical alternation between /h/ in the present and /g/ in the plural of the past and the past participle (Old High German [[m|goh|sluog]], [[m|goh|gislagan]]), and German generalised the /g/ to the whole verb.^(Kluge 2011|807)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|738) Gothic levelled the alternation the other way, in favour of /h/.^(DWB|15, 346) The derivatives [[Schlacht]], [[Geschlecht]] and [[ungeschlacht]] still show the old consonant.^(Duden 7 2020|738)

+

+ Outside Germanic the verb has only weak comparisons.^(Kluge 2011|807) The best match is Celtic: [[mga|slacc|t=sword]] and [[m|mga|slachta|t=struck]], from which Pfeifer sets up a root [[ine-pro|*slak-|t=to strike, hammer]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|807) Kroonen treats the verb as a Germanic–Celtic word, perhaps imitative in origin.^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge also mentions, with reserve, a link with [[grc|κλάω|tr=kláō|t=I break]] and [[grc|κλάδος|tr=kládos|t=branch]], or with [[la|calx|t=heel]].^(Kluge 2011|807)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''slahan'' appears from the 8th century in the Abrogans and other glosses, and then in Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|8, 384)^(Köbler AHD) Its senses there already range from “to strike, beat” to “to kill, slaughter” and “to forge (metal)”;^(EWA|8, 384)^(Schützeichel 2012|296) ''slahan nāh'' meant “to take after someone”.^(EWA|8, 384)^(Schützeichel 2012|296)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the older language the verb often meant “to slay”, as in Luther's Bible, and also “to slaughter”;^(Paul 2002) the idea of killing survives in ''zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen'' “to kill two birds with one stone”.^(Paul 2002) The striking of a weapon in battle gave the reflexive ''sich schlagen'' “to fight”.^(Paul 2002) A special sense “to take a certain direction, take after someone” is old, seen in [[Geschlecht]] and in phrases such as ''aus der Art schlagen'' “to be unlike one's family”.^(Duden 7 2020|738)

+

+ From the verb came the noun [[Schlag]], with many special senses, among them “stroke” (the illness), a loan translation of Greek-Latin ''apoplexia''.^(Kluge 2011|807) [[Schläger]] “one who strikes” is Middle High German;^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer dates the sense “brawler” to the 17th century,^(Pfeifer 1993) Duden to the 18th, when it also became the name of the students' duelling sword.^(Duden 7 2020|738) [[Schlager]] “hit song” arose in Vienna around 1880, probably after the image of a lightning strike.^(Duden 7 2020|738) German ''Schlagsahne'' “whipped cream” was used in English in 1907, and [[cs|šlehat]] “to whip” is listed as a German loan.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''slahan'' is recorded in the glosses.^(Kluge 2011|807)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 10th century – ''abaslahan'' “to cut off” and ''anaslahan'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''Anschlag'' takes the sense “attempt on someone's life”, and ''abschlägig'' “refusing” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''den Ausschlag geben'' “to tip the balance” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''Schläger'' means “brawler”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Around 1880 – ''Schlager'' “hit” appears in Vienna.^(Duden 7 2020|738)

+ * 1907 – ''Schlagsahne'' is recorded in English.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hit]], [[m|en|beat]], strike someone or something, also with a stick or tool;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''sie schlug mit der Hand auf das Pult''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To [[m|en|fight]], come to blows;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''die Brüder schlagen sich schon wieder''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To drive in or fasten by blows: a nail into a wall, a post into the ground.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|fell]] trees.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(cooking)'' To [[m|en|whip]], beat (cream, egg white).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To strike against something, hit hard, with ''sein'': ''das Fenster schlug gegen die Wand''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Of the heart, a clock or a bird: to beat, [[m|en|chime]], sing: ''die Uhr schlägt zwölf''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To play by striking (a drum, a harp); to beat (time).^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|defeat]], beat an army or an opponent.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(chess and board games)'' To [[m|en|capture]] a piece.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To add (a sum) to something: costs to the price.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To take after someone, with ''sein'': ''der Kleine schlägt ganz nach seinem Großvater''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(hunting)'' Of a bird of prey: to seize and kill.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Schlag]]

+ * [[Schläger]]

+ * [[Schlägerei]]

+ * [[Schlager]]

+ * [[Schlägel]]

+ * [[abschlägig]]

+ * [[abschlagen]]

+ * [[anschlagen]]

+ * [[aufschlagen]]

+ * [[ausschlagen]]

+ * [[beschlagen]]

+ * [[erschlagen]]

+ * [[verschlagen]]

+ * [[Schlagsahne]]

+ * [[Schlagwort]]

+ * [[schlagfertig]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Schlacht]]

+ * [[Geschlecht]]

+ * [[ungeschlacht]]

+ * [[Schlacke]]

+ * [[en|slay]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen'' is to achieve two things with one action.^(Paul 2002) The perfect is formed with ''haben'' in most senses but with ''sein'' when the subject moves against something or takes after someone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}