Gegner German · revision 35296

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=14th century, Middle Low German legal texts|origins=gml gēgenen}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡeːɡnɐ/, /ˈɡeːknɐ/, /ˈɡeːçnɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Gegner''' ''m'' (genitive Gegners, plural Gegner, feminine Gegnerin)^(Wiktionary)

+ In the 17th century the form ''Gegener'' was still used beside ''Gegner''.^(DWB|5, 2306)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|gml|gēgenēre|t=adversary]], an agent noun [[der|gml|gēgenen|t=to meet, come towards]], which was derived from the adverb and preposition [[gegen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|307)^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) The verb corresponds to [[goh|gaganen|t=to go to meet, encounter]] and [[gmh|gegenen]], which survives in [[begegnen]] and [[entgegnen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|4, 9)^(Paul 2002) [[nl|jegener|t=opponent]] is the same formation.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Kluge, Duden and Wahrig take the word as a loan translation of [[la|adversārius|t=adversary]], with the German preposition standing for [[m|la|adversus|t=opposite]];^(Kluge 2011|340)^(Duden 7 2020|307)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Pfeifer and Paul call this probable.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The sources date its spread from the north differently: Kluge says it became standard in the 16th century, and Pfeifer that High German took it over at the beginning of that century,^(Kluge 2011|340)^(Pfeifer 1993) while Paul puts the adoption in the first half of the 17th century, citing Schottelius in 1641, and Duden says it prevailed in Upper German from the 17th century.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The word first appears in Low German legal texts of the 14th century, for the opponent in a lawsuit: Johann von Buch's ''Richtsteig Landrechts'' says that the losing party must pay a fine to the judge and compensation ''sîme jegenêre'' “to his opponent”, where most manuscripts still have the older ''wedersaken''.^(DWB|5, 2306)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the court the word passed, at first euphemistically, to the enemy in war (''zum Gegner überlaufen''), and then generally to a person or power that opposes someone or something, as in compounds like ''Regimegegner'' and ''Kernkraftgegner''.^(Paul 2002) In the 17th century it was used in Upper German too, though in coarse speech and in poetry rather than in formal legal language, which preferred ''Gegenteil'' and ''Gegenpart''.^(DWB|5, 2306) Today it is also the usual word in sport for the opposing player or team.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ The adjective [[gegnerisch]] is recorded from 1731, and ''Gegnerschaft'' from 1806, in Fichte.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – Middle Low German ''gēgenēre'' appears in legal texts.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|5, 2306)

+ * 16th century – The word becomes standard High German, according to Kluge.^(Kluge 2011|340)

+ * 1641 – Schottelius uses the word, the first High German record that Paul cites.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1731 – First record of ''gegnerisch''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1806 – Fichte uses ''Gegnerschaft''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|opponent]] or [[m|en|adversary]] of a person or a cause: ''Sie ist eine entschiedene Gegnerin der Atomkraft.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' The opposing player or team: ''Der Gegner war uns heute klar überlegen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # The enemy in war: ''Die Truppen zogen sich vor dem Gegner zurück.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gegnerin]]

+ * [[gegnerisch]]

+ * [[Gegnerschaft]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gegen]]

+ * [[begegnen]]

+ * [[entgegnen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}