fest German · revision 35243

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fɛst/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fest''' (strong nominative masculine singular fester, comparative fester, superlative am festesten)^(Wiktionary)

+ In Middle High German it was written ''veste'' or ''vest'',^(Lexer 1872|3, 326) and the spelling with ⟨v⟩ lasted long into New High German.^(Paul 2002) The two-syllable form ''feste'' survives in northern colloquial speech and was still used by poets such as Goethe.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|veste]], [[inh|goh|festi]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*fast]], [[inh|gem-pro|*fastuz|t=firm, fixed]].^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) Old High German [[m|goh|fasti]] is also recorded.^(AWB|3, 764)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The same adjective is [[osx|fast]], [[non|fastr]], [[ang|fæst]] (now [[en|fast]]), [[ofs|fest]] and [[nl|vast]].^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Gothic has no such adjective, only the verb [[got|𐍆𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=fastan|t=to keep, hold firm]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|3, 1558) for “firm” the Gothic Bible uses an adjective of another root.^(DWB|3, 1558)

+

+ The forms with umlaut and a final vowel are a High German feature: the other languages keep an older stem without umlaut, which Kluge takes to be a u-stem, remodelled in West Germanic as a ja-stem.^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Kroonen 2013)^(DWB|3, 1558) The old adverb without umlaut is [[fast]] “almost”, which split off from the adjective in meaning.^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|3, 1560)

+

+ Its origin outside Germanic is disputed.^(DWB2|9, 378) Pfeifer, Duden and Wahrig set up [[ine-pro|*past-|t=firm]] and compare [[xcl|հաստ|tr=hast|t=firm, dense]] and [[sa|पस्त्य|tr=pastyá|t=dwelling]], taken as a “fixed abode”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|265)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kroonen also links the Armenian word but separates the Sanskrit one, and derives the root from a compound of [[m|ine-pro|*peh₂ǵ-|t=to become firm]] and [[m|ine-pro|*steh₂-|t=to stand]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) Kluge finds only the doubtful Armenian comparison and considers a link with the word for the foot ([[Fuß]]), or a formation from [[m|ine-pro|*sed-|t=to sit]] like [[Ast]] and [[Nest]].^(Kluge 2011|289)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Old High German adjective appears in glosses from about 765 and then in Isidor, the Monsee fragments, Otfrid, Notker and Williram, meaning “firm, strong”, “fortified, secure”, “steadfast, lasting” and “settled, unchangeable”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|101) Otfrid (863–871) says that the lake was firm under Christ's feet: ''er was io in thera fristi zi sinen fuazon festi''.^(DWB2|9, 378)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German ''veste'' meant “not soft, hard, strong, lasting”, used of things such as a castle, a spear or steel, and figuratively of grief or of a steadfast warrior.^(Lexer 1872|3, 326)^(Duden 7 2020|265) Paul describes the core of the word as cohesion, either of the parts of one thing or of several things with one another, from which the ideas of immobility, permanence and resistance follow.^(Paul 2002) Only in New High German did it become the regular opposite of “liquid” and “loose”.^(Duden 7 2020|265)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Schiller's ''Lied von der Glocke'' opens with ''Fest gemauert in der Erden'' (“walled fast in the earth”).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The adverb ''feste'' “very, heartily” stayed in normal use until the 18th century and is still heard in dialects and colloquial speech.^(Pfeifer 1993) Compounds with the adjective became frequent: ''festmachen'' “to conclude (a deal)” in the 18th century, and the reflexive ''sich festlegen'' “to commit oneself”.^(Paul 2002) Old nouns formed from it are [[Feste]] “fortress”, [[goh|festī]] “firmness, protection, stronghold”, preserved in names such as ''Veste Coburg'', and [[Festung]], formed from [[m|goh|festinōn|t=to fortify]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|265)^(Kluge 2011|289) [[festigen]] and [[befestigen]] date from the 15th century,^(Pfeifer 1993) and [[Festland]] was used for “continent” in the 19th century.^(Duden 7 2020|265)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – The Old High German adjective appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 863–871 – Otfrid uses it of the firm surface of the lake.^(DWB2|9, 378)

+ * 9th–10th century – ''festinunga'', the ancestor of ''Festung'', is recorded in Old High German.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1230 – ''Diu Crône'' uses ''veste'' of solid ground.^(DWB2|9, 378)

+ * 15th century – ''festigen'' and ''befestigen'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''festmachen'' is used for concluding a deal.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – ''Festland'' is used for “continent”.^(Duden 7 2020|265)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|solid]], hard, not liquid or gaseous: ''Nach der Operation darf er wieder feste Nahrung essen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Stable, durable, [[m|en|sturdy]]: strong cloth or shoes, a solidly built house.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated, regional)'' Protected, proof against something;^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''(military)'' fortified.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Tight, firmly attached, not loose: ''Die Schraube sitzt fest.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Strong, vigorous: a firm handshake, a hard blow;^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''fest schlafen'' is to sleep soundly.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial, also'' feste'')'' Heartily, properly: ''Wir haben feste gefeiert.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ # Resolute, determined: a firm look, a steady voice.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # [[m|en|steadfast]], unshakable: firm principles, a firm conviction.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Definite, [[m|en|binding]]: a firm promise, a fixed date.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Permanent, regular, constant: a fixed address, a steady job, fixed prices;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''ein fester Freund'' (colloquial) is a steady boyfriend.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Austria, colloquial)'' Good, proper, big.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Feste]]

+ * [[Festung]]

+ * [[festigen]]

+ * [[befestigen]]

+ * [[Festigkeit]]

+ * [[Festland]]

+ * [[festlegen]]

+ * [[feststellen]]

+ * [[festhalten]]

+ * [[festmachen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Fest]]

+ * [[flüssig]]

+ * [[gasförmig]]

+ * [[fast]]

+ * [[fasten]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The noun [[Fest]] “celebration” is unrelated: it was borrowed in the 13th century from [[la|fēstum|t=feast day]],^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Pfeifer 1993) and the Grimms note that it was once pronounced with a different vowel.^(DWB|3, 1561)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}