Hälfte German · revision 35328

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=15th century|origins=gem-pro *halbaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈhɛlftə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Hälfte''' ''f'' (genitive Hälfte, plural Hälften)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|gml|helfte]], which made its way into High German in the 15th century.^(Kluge 2011|388)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The word was formed with a dental suffix from [[gml|half|t=half]], the Low German form of [[halb]],^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) going back to [[gem-pro|*halbiþō]].^(Wiktionary) The same formation is [[dum|helft]], [[ofs|helfte]] and [[non|helft]], now [[nl|helft]].^(Kluge 2011|388)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Wiktionary notes that it reached the standard language through Central German, and that the change between ⟨b⟩ and ⟨ft⟩ was not levelled, probably because the same alternation occurs in native words such as [[schreiben]] beside [[Schrift]].^(Wiktionary) An Old High German formation of this kind is not recorded.^(DWB|10, 223)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Grimms find it earliest in Old Frisian and, in High German territory, in a charter from Halle of 1469 describing a seal, ''der helfte'' with three small lions.^(DWB|10, 223) Kluge and Paul date it to the 15th century.^(Kluge 2011|388)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Coming from the north in the 15th and 16th centuries, the word spread south, was used often by Luther and won out in the written language over the older ''Halbe'' (Old High German ''halba'', Middle High German ''halbe'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Luther's Bible has ''und Mose nam die helfte des bluts'' “and Moses took half of the blood” (Exodus 24:6) and ''bis an die helfte meines königreichs'' “unto the half of my kingdom”.^(DWB|10, 223)

+

+ Adelung records the sense “middle”, as in ''auf der Hälfte unserer Reise''.^(Adelung 1793) For a spouse, ''Ehehälfte'' is recorded from 1736, and Hamann wrote in 1762 ''Grüßen Sie Ihre liebe Hälfte'' “give my regards to your dear half”;^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''bessere Hälfte'' is a loan translation of English ''better half''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 15th century – The Low German word enters High German.^(Kluge 2011|388)

+ * 1469 – ''helfte'' in a charter from Halle.^(DWB|10, 223)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses the word frequently.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1736 – ''Ehehälfte'' “wife” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1805 – Hölderlin's poem ''Hälfte des Lebens''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # One of two [[m|en|equal]] parts of a whole, a [[m|en|half]]: ''Die Hälfte der Gäste kam zu spät.'' ''Er schnitt die Birne in zwei Hälften.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' One of two unequal parts: ''Du hast mir die größere Hälfte gegeben!''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' The [[m|en|middle]], the point where two halves meet.^(Wiktionary)^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[hälftig]]

+ * [[Jahreshälfte]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[halb]]

+ * [[halbieren]]

+ * [[Halbe]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Meine bessere Hälfte'' (colloquial, humorous) means one's wife or, less often, one's husband.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Die Hälfte abstreichen müssen'' (colloquial) is not to be able to believe everything one is told.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}