werfen German · revision 35265

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvɛrfən/, [ˈvɛʁ-], [ˈvɛɐ̯-]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''werfen''' (class 3 strong, third-person singular present wirft, past tense warf, past participle geworfen, past subjunctive würfe, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ Beside the past subjunctive ''würfe'', ''wärfe'' is also found, as in Wieland and Schiller.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|werfen]], [[inh|goh|werfan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*werpan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*werpaną|t=to throw]], a strong verb.^(Kluge 2011|983)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same verb is [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍀𐌰𐌽|tr=wairpan]], [[non|verpa]], [[ang|weorpan]], [[ofs|werpa]], [[osx|werpan]] and [[nl|werpen]].^(Kluge 2011|983)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The original meaning “to bend, turn” survives in [[en|warp]], in the Old Norse phrase [[m|non|aldri orpinn|t=bent with age]], and in the reflexive use of the German verb for wood that warps;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) [[m|non|verpa]] and [[sv|värpa]] also mean “to lay eggs”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ In Old High German the shifted consonant still appears as ⟨pf⟩ or ⟨ph⟩ in the Tatian, while Otfrid mostly has ⟨f⟩, which became general;^(DWB|29, 276) Middle Franconian kept the unshifted /p/ into the 14th and 15th centuries.^(DWB|29, 276)

+

+ The sources agree that words for throwing often come from words for turning, but not on the root.^(Kluge 2011|983)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge posits an extension of [[ine-pro|*wer-|t=to turn]], which with another extension gave [[werden]], and perhaps [[cu|врѣщи|tr=vrěšti|t=to throw]].^(Kluge 2011|983) Pfeifer sees a labial extension of the same root in [[grc|ῥάβδος|tr=rhábdos|t=rod]], [[la|verber|t=lash, rod]], [[lt|virbas|alt=vir̃bas|t=twig]] and [[ru|верба|tr=vérba|t=willow]], with the basic sense “to fling with a turning swing of the arm”;^(Pfeifer 1993) Duden adds [[m|lt|verpti|alt=ver̃pti|t=to spin]] and places the group with [[Wurm]].^(Duden 7 2020|929) Kroonen starts from [[m|ine-pro|*wergʷ-]], comparing [[m|grc|ῥέμβομαι|tr=rhémbomai|t=to roam about]] and [[m|grc|ῥόμβος|tr=rhómbos|t=spinning motion]], and explains the Germanic /p/ from the labiovelar after a resonant, as in [[gem-pro|*fimf|t=five]] and [[m|gem-pro|*wulfaz|t=wolf]]; he doubts the Slavic link.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''werfan'' is recorded in the 8th century in glosses and the ''Hildebrandslied'', and then in the Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and Williram.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|382) It meant “to throw, cast out, drive out, throw down, pour out, scatter, overthrow”.^(Schützeichel 2012|382)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Since Middle High German the verb has also meant “to give birth” of animals, and in reflexive use “to become uneven, warp”, said of wood (Kepler, 1616).^(Duden 7 2020|929)^(Paul 2002) With an object it came to mean “to produce, form”: ''Schatten werfen'' (1623), ''Falten werfen'' (1761).^(Paul 2002) Many figurative uses go back centuries: ''einen Blick auf etwas werfen'' is Middle High German, and ''sich auf etwas werfen'' “to throw oneself into a task” is recorded in 1536.^(Paul 2002) Fixed expressions include ''die Flinte ins Korn werfen'' “to throw in the towel”, ''Perlen vor die Säue werfen'' and the proverb ''Wer im Glashaus sitzt, soll nicht mit Steinen werfen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Particle verbs developed senses of their own: [[abwerfen]] “to yield a profit” (15th century), [[aufwerfen]] “to raise (a question)” (16th century), and [[anwerfen]] “to start (an engine)”, from cranking it by hand.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|929) In many dialects the verb has lost ground to [[schmeißen]].^(DWB|29, 276) A Frankish form of the verb gave [[fro|guerpir]] “to give up”, the source of [[fr|déguerpir]].^(DWB|29, 276)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''werfan'' in glosses and the ''Hildebrandslied''.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – the Tatian has forms with ⟨pf⟩, Otfrid mostly ''werfan''.^(DWB|29, 276)

+ * Middle High German – the sense “to bear young” appears.^(Duden 7 2020|929)

+ * 15th century – ''abwerfen'' “to yield a profit”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1536 – ''sich auf etwas werfen'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1616 – Kepler uses ''sich werfen'' of warping wood.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1623 – ''Schatten werfen'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|throw]] something through the air with a swing of the arm: ''Der Junge warf den Ball über die Hecke.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To throw something as a missile: ''mit Schneebällen werfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(sport)'' To make a throw; to score by throwing: ''Sie warf drei Tore.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(games)'' To throw a number with dice: ''eine Sechs werfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To fling or put somewhere with force: ''die Tasche in die Ecke werfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To throw oneself: ''Sie warf sich aufs Sofa.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To move a part of the body with a jerk: ''den Kopf in den Nacken werfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To produce, form: ''Der Baum wirft einen langen Schatten.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To [[m|en|warp]], of wood and the like.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Of mammals, to give birth to young: ''Die Hündin hat fünf Junge geworfen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(slang)'' To stand, pay for: ''eine Runde werfen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(programming)'' To throw an [[m|en|exception]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Wurf]]

+ * [[Würfel]]

+ * [[abwerfen]]

+ * [[anwerfen]]

+ * [[aufwerfen]]

+ * [[auswerfen]]

+ * [[einwerfen]]

+ * [[entwerfen]]

+ * [[unterwerfen]]

+ * [[verwerfen]]

+ * [[vorwerfen]]

+ * [[wegwerfen]]

+ * [[Werfer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Werfen]]

+ * [[werden]]

+ * [[Wurm]]

+ * [[en|warp]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}