Kollege German · revision 35294

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1563, Mathesius|origins=la collēga}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kɔˈleːɡə/, [kɔ-], [ko-]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Kollege''' ''m'' (genitive Kollegen, plural Kollegen, feminine Kollegin)^(Wiktionary)

+ In the 17th and 18th centuries the Latin form ''Collega'' was still common, especially in the address ''Herr Collega'', while German endings were used early in the inflected cases.^(DFWB)

+ The Latin form of address survives in some professional circles.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|collēga|t=colleague in office]], borrowed in the 16th century.^(Kluge 2011|514)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|454) The Latin word is made of [[m|la|con-|t=with]] and a word for law or delegation, in a way Kluge calls morphologically not quite clear: Kluge, Duden and the Duden dictionary connect it with [[m|la|lēgō|t=to appoint by law, delegate]], so “fellow delegate”,^(Kluge 2011|514)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2020|454) a verb that Duden derives from [[m|la|lēx|t=law]],^(Duden 7 2020|454) and Pfeifer thinks it was probably formed from [[m|la|collēgium]].^(Pfeifer 1993) Wahrig instead connects the second part with the Latin verb for “to gather, read”.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ The same word is [[nl|collega]], [[en|colleague]], [[fr|collègue]] and [[sv|kollega]].^(Kluge 2011|514)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch first records it in 1563, in Mathesius' book on marriage, addressed to ''meinem trewen Collegen'' “my faithful colleague”, in the sense of a fellow holder of an office.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Kluge explains the Latin word from the Roman republic's rule that public offices were held by several equal colleagues, such as the two consuls, to limit the power of individuals; the meaning was later generalised.^(Kluge 2011|514) In German it was used at first of fellow preachers, teachers and officials, as in ''Schul-Collegen'' (1642), and ''Herr Collega'' was a common form of address in the 18th century, still used by Schiller in 1801.^(DFWB)

+

+ The modern word covers someone in the same profession, a workmate in the same firm and a fellow member of an organisation such as a trade union; in the German Democratic Republic it was also used for a fellow worker, and in slangy speech it addresses a stranger.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007) It was borrowed as [[pl|kolega]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1563 – First record, in Mathesius.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1642 – ''Kollegium'' is used for a body of colleagues.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1661 – First record of the adjective ''kollegialisch''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1714 – ''Herr Collega'' is used as a form of address.^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person in the same [[m|en|profession]]: ''Die Ärztin besprach den Fall mit einem Kollegen aus Wien.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|coworker]] in the same firm or office: ''Mein Kollege aus der Buchhaltung ist heute krank.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A fellow member of the same organisation, such as a trade union.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(German Democratic Republic)'' A fellow worker, comrade.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(slang)'' A form of address to a stranger or a friend: ''Hey, Kollege, hilf mir mal tragen!''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Kollegin]]

+ * [[Amtskollege]]

+ * [[Arbeitskollege]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Kolleg]]

+ * [[Kollega]]

+ * [[kollegial]]

+ * [[Kollegium]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}