Beginn German · revision 35238

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=end of the 8th century, Old High German Isidor|origins=gem-pro *biginnaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈɡɪn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Beginn''' ''m'' (genitive Beginnes or Beginns, plural Beginne)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|begin]], a noun formed from the verb [[beginnen]].^(Kluge 2011|102)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD) The older [[goh|bigin]] “beginning, origin” is so rarely attested that the Old High German dictionary takes the Middle High German noun, like [[dum|begin]], to be a fresh formation from the verb.^(AWB|1, 1017)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 580)

+

+ The verb is [[m|gmh|beginnen]], [[m|goh|biginnan]], [[osx|biginnan]], a prefixed form of the stem [[gem-pro|*-ginnaną]] that occurs only with prefixes, as in [[got|𐌳𐌿𐌲𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽|tr=duginnan]], [[ang|beginnan]] and [[m|ang|onginnan]].^(Kluge 2011|102)^(Pfeifer 1993) Its further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|102)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Kluge thinks a basic sense “to grasp” likely, by comparison with [[anfangen]], and compares [[la|prehendō|t=to seize]] and [[grc|χανδάνω|tr=khandánō|t=to hold, contain]].^(Kluge 2011|102) Pfeifer mentions this and a link with an Albanian verb as possibilities, and also de Vries's suggestion of a non-Indo-European substrate.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bigin'' is found only in Isidor (end of the 8th century) and the Monsee fragments, meaning “beginning” and “origin”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|49)^(EWA|2, 32) Isidor speaks of the root of wisdom that is ''bighin gotes sunes'', “the origin of the Son of God”.^(AWB|1, 1017) Middle High German ''begin'' appears from about 1173, in the ''Anegenge''.^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German ''begin'' (also neuter ''beginne'') meant “beginning, origin”, and also “undertaking, action”.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|4, 580) It was long less usual than [[Anbeginn]], and came into common use only in the 19th century.^(DWB2|4, 580) Adelung, around 1800, called ''Beginn'' obsolete in High German, kept only in the elevated style.^(Adelung 1793|1, 802) The Grimms quoted Opitz and Logau for it, including the sense “intention, undertaking”.^(DWB|1, 1296)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 8th century – Old High German ''bigin'' appears in Isidor.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|4, 580)

+ * c. 1173 – Middle High German ''begin'' in the ''Anegenge''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * c. 1180–1190 – Hartmann von Aue uses ''begin''.^(DWB2|4, 580)

+ * c. 1800 – Adelung calls the word obsolete except in elevated style.^(Adelung 1793|1, 802)

+ * 19th century – ''Beginn'' becomes common.^(DWB2|4, 580)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The moment when something starts; the [[m|en|beginning]], [[m|en|start]] of a period of time: ''Zu Beginn der Sitzung wurde abgestimmt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(less often)'' The beginning of something in space: ''am Beginn des Wanderwegs''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Arbeitsbeginn]]

+ * [[Schulbeginn]]

+ * [[Spielbeginn]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[beginnen]]

+ * [[Anbeginn]]

+ * [[Anfang]]

+ * [[en|begin]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}