betragen German · revision 35297

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1150, Kaiserchronik|origins=gem-pro *draganą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈtʁaːɡŋ̩/, /bəˈtʁaːɡən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''betragen''' (class 6 strong, third-person singular present beträgt, past tense betrug, past participle betragen, past subjunctive betrüge, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|betragen]], [[af|de|be-|tragen]].^(Kluge 2011|116)^(Wiktionary) Kluge calls the development of its meanings unclear on the whole.^(Kluge 2011|116) The sense used of sums and measures comes from the strong Middle High German verb meaning “to carry together, compare, reckon”, a prefixed form of the verb for “to carry”, while the sense “to behave” comes from a weak Middle High German verb meaning “to have one's living, make do with something”, then “to get on with someone”; the weak verb took over more and more forms of the strong one, which sounded the same.^(Kluge 2011|116)^(FWB) Kluge adds that some of the senses may not belong to that verb at all but to [[osx|tregan|t=to grieve]], by way of a sense “care”, and that the details still need clarifying.^(Kluge 2011|116)

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+ The base verb continues [[gem-pro|*draganą|t=to draw, carry]], also found in [[got|𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=dragan]], [[non|draga]] and [[en|draw]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Orel 2003|74)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle High German ''betragen'' is first recorded in the ''Kaiserchronik'' (about 1150), meaning “to live on, make do with, sustain oneself”.^(Köbler MHD)^(Kluge 2011|116) Gottfried's ''Tristan'' has merchants who earn ''daʒ wir uns betragen'' “what we live on”.^(DWB|1, 1708)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Early New High German used ''sich eines Dinges betragen'' for “to live on something” and ''sich mit jemandem betragen'' for “to get on with someone”, and the Early New High German dictionary also records “to settle (a quarrel)” and “to behave in a certain way”.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB) Goethe still wrote in a letter that he would get on with his publisher Göschen: ''mit Göschen will ich mich schon betragen''.^(Paul 2002) The sense “to behave” became established only in the 18th century: Frisch's dictionary of 1741 does not have it yet, and the noun [[Betragen]] “conduct” is used from Lessing on.^(Paul 2002)

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+ The sense “to amount to” is somewhat older, and the noun [[Betrag]] “amount” is recorded by Steinbach in 1734.^(Paul 2002) The old concrete senses lingered in trades: masons ''betragen'' a wall when they plaster it, goldsmiths coat silver with gold, and flies were said to ''betragen'' meat when they laid their eggs in it.^(DWB|1, 1708)^(Adelung 1793|1, 942) In Austria ''Betragen'' is also the school mark for conduct.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1150 – Middle High German ''betragen'' appears in the ''Kaiserchronik''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 1734 – Steinbach records the noun ''Betrag'' “amount”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1741 – Frisch's dictionary does not yet have the sense “to behave”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''sich betragen'' “to behave” becomes established, and Lessing uses the noun ''Betragen''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|amount]] to, come to (a sum or measure): ''Der Eintritt beträgt acht Euro.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To [[m|en|behave]], conduct oneself: ''Die Gäste haben sich tadellos betragen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Betragen]]

+ * [[Betrag]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tragen]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ Early New High German also had a verb ''betragen'' “to grow slack; to annoy, vex”, from Middle High German ''betrâgen'' “to bore”, which belongs with [[träge]] and has died out.^(FWB)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}