sichern German · revision 35269

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=la sēcūrus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzɪçɐn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sichern''' (third-person singular present sichert, past tense sicherte, past participle gesichert, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sichern]], [[inh|goh|sihhurōn|t=to justify, clear of a charge, vouch for]], formed from the adjective [[m|goh|sihhur]], the ancestor of [[sicher]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Kluge 2011|847) A verb of the same kind is the legal term [[ofs|sikuria]], and the Grimms see the verb as modelled on Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|sēcūrō]].^(DWB|16, 730)

+

+ The adjective is an early loan, recorded from the 9th century, of [[la-vul|*sicūrus]], [[la|sēcūrus|t=free from care]], from [[m|la|sē-|t=without]] and [[m|la|cūra|t=care]].^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|7, 1204) It was borrowed in the same way into [[osx|sikor]], [[ofs|sikur]] and [[ang|sicor]];^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer asks whether English took it before the Anglo-Saxons left the continent.^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Pfeifer 1993) Like the Latin word it was first a legal term, “not liable, free of guilt and punishment”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sihhurōn'' is recorded in glosses of the 8th century and in the Tatian, meaning “to excuse, clear, release from a charge, promise”.^(Köbler AHD) The glosses render Latin ''purgari'' “to be cleared by oath” with ''gisihhirôt'', from the oath of purgation by which an accused freed himself.^(DWB|16, 730)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German ''sichern'' meant “to guarantee something to someone, give security, pledge”;^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) Schiller still writes ''weil ihr mich meines Lebens habt gesichert'' (“since you have assured me of my life”), and until the 18th century it could mean “to assure, vow”.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) From Early New High German on it followed the adjective's sense “safe” and came to mean “to protect from danger”, usually with ''vor''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Hunters say of game that it ''sichert'' when it watches and scents for danger (recorded 1838), and the army took the word over.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Newer uses are putting a gun on safety, securing a climber with a rope, securing evidence at a crime scene and, in computing, saving data.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The prefixed [[versichern]] acquired the sense “to insure” in the 17th century, first in maritime trade beside the Italian loan ''assekurieren''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''sihhurōn'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – The adjective ''sihhur'' is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|847)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''versichern'' takes the sense “to insure”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1838 – First record of the hunting sense “to watch and scent”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make [[m|en|safe]], [[m|en|protect]] against a danger: ''das Fahrrad mit einem Schloss sichern'', ''die Grenzen sichern''; of a climber, to secure with a rope; of a gun, to put on safety.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(computing)'' To [[m|en|save]] data: ''Vergiss nicht, die Datei zu sichern.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To [[m|en|guarantee]], ensure: ''Der Vertrag sichert den Mitarbeitern ihre Stellen.'' Often in the participle: ''ein gesichertes Einkommen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To secure, obtain for oneself or someone: ''Wir haben uns gute Plätze gesichert.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(police)'' To record and preserve evidence at a scene: ''Spuren sichern''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(hunting)'' Of game: to listen and take the scent watchfully.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Sicherung]]

+ * [[absichern]]

+ * [[versichern]]

+ * [[verunsichern]]

+ * [[sicherstellen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sicher]]

+ * [[sicherlich]]

+ * [[Sicherheit]]

+ * [[Kur]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}