Sommer German · revision 35272

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzɔmɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Sommer''' ''m'' (genitive Sommers, plural Sommer)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sumer]], [[inh|goh|sumar]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*sumar]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sumaraz|t=summer]].^(Kluge 2011|857)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|8, 1373) The same word is [[osx|sumar]], [[non|sumar]], [[ang|sumor]] (now [[en|summer]]), [[ofs|sumur]] and [[nl|zomer]].^(Kluge 2011|857)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) It is unrecorded only in Gothic, where Wulfila rendered [[grc|θέρος|tr=théros|t=summer]] by [[got|𐌰𐍃𐌰𐌽𐍃|tr=asans|t=harvest]].^(DWB|16, 1509)

+

+ Pfeifer and Duden trace it to [[ine-pro|*sem-|t=summer]], also found in [[sa|समा|tr=sámā|t=half-year, season]], [[ae|ham-|t=summer]] and [[sga|sam|t=summer]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|791) Kluge points out that only [[xcl|ամառն|tr=amaṙn|t=summer]], beside [[m|xcl|ամ|tr=am|t=year]], has the same suffix as the Germanic word.^(Kluge 2011|857) Kroonen relates it to the old word for “half”, [[m|ang|sām-]] and [[la|sēmi-]], and reconstructs [[m|ine-pro|*smH-oro-]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The regular modern form would keep /u/, as most southern dialects do ([[gsw|Summer]], [[bar|Summer]], [[lb|Summer]]); the vowel ⟨o⟩ before the nasal is of Central and Low German origin.^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|8, 1373) The EWA finds it from the 15th century in Middle Franconian and credits Luther's Bible with spreading it over the whole language area;^(EWA|8, 1373)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer dates the change to about the 16th century, as in [[Sonne]].^(EWA|8, 1373)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sumar'' is recorded from the third quarter of the 8th century in glosses, then in the Benedictine Rule, the ''Hildebrandslied'', the Tatian and Notker, meaning “summer”; the genitive ''(des) sumares'' meant “in summer”.^(EWA|8, 1373)^(Schützeichel 2012|320)^(Köbler AHD) In Middle High German ''sumer'' was also the name of a fever.^(EWA|8, 1373)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The oldest Germans knew only two seasons, and ''Sommer'' was the warm half of the year in contrast to winter, as in the pair ''Sommer und Winter'' “all year round”;^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|4, 136) Walther von der Vogelweide already uses it so.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|4, 136) Once spring and autumn were distinguished, it was narrowed to the season between them.^(Adelung 1793|4, 136) In poetry it can stand for a year of life (Hagedorn: ''sechzehn Sommer alt'').^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|4, 136)

+

+ The white threads of small spiders drifting in late summer have been called ''fliegender Sommer'' since the 17th century, later [[Altweibersommer]], which also names a spell of fine autumn weather.^(Pfeifer 1993) The compound [[Sommersprosse]] “freckle” clarifies an older ''sprusse'';^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|791) Pfeifer dates it to the end of the 17th century, Duden to the 16th.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|791) [[Sommerfrische]] “summer holiday in the country” arose about 1600 around Bolzano and spread at the end of the 19th century, when ''Sommerfrischler'' (1869) appeared.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Third quarter of the 8th century – Old High German ''sumar'' in glosses.^(EWA|8, 1373)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * About 900 – the adjective ''sumarlīh'', modern ''sommerlich''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – the form ''sommer'' appears in Middle Franconian.^(EWA|8, 1373)

+ * 16th century – Luther's Bible spreads the form with ⟨o⟩.^(EWA|8, 1373)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * About 1600 – ''Sommerfrische'' is used in the region of Bolzano.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''fliegender Sommer'' for drifting spider threads.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1869 – ''Sommerfrischler'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|summer|alt=Summer]], the warmest season, between spring and autumn: ''Letzten Sommer waren wir an der Ostsee.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(poetic)'' The height or prime of something: ''im Sommer des Lebens''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(poetic, dated)'' A year, of someone's age.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|4, 136)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sommerlich]]

+ * [[sommers]]

+ * [[Sommersprosse]]

+ * [[Sommerfrische]]

+ * [[Altweibersommer]]

+ * [[Nachsommer]]

+ * [[Hochsommer]]

+ * [[Spätsommer]]

+ * [[Sommerzeit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|summer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The Grimms' dictionary lists two minor words of the same spelling: ''Sommer'', a measure for grain and other goods, from Middle High German ''sumber'' “basket”,^(DWB|16, 1508) and ''sommer'', a contraction of ''so mir'' in oaths such as ''sommer Gott''.^(DWB|16, 1508)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}