Erfahrung German · revision 35332

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=12th century, Old High German glosses}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛɐ̯ˈfaːʁʊŋ/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''Erfahrung''' ''f'' (genitive Erfahrung, plural Erfahrungen)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|ervarunge]], [[inh|goh|irfarunga|t=trial, experiment]], formed [[af|goh|irfaran|-unga]], the source of [[erfahren]].^(EWA|5, 160)^(Wiktionary) The noun has a counterpart in [[gml|ervāringe]].^(DWB2|8, 1701)

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+ That verb, recorded from about 800, is a prefixed verb of [[fahren]] and meant at first, until Early New High German, “to travel through, reach, overtake”; already in late Old High German it developed the sense “to get to know, explore”.^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge describes the change as one from travelling through a land to getting to know it, and then to getting to know in general.^(Kluge 2011|254) [[gml|ervāren]] has the same range of senses.^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''irfarunga'' is found only in glosses of the 11th and 12th centuries, in Bavarian manuscripts, where it renders Latin ''experimentum'' “trial, experiment”.^(EWA|5, 160)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|97) Middle High German ''ervarunge'' also meant “travelling through” and “investigation”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle and Early New High German the noun meant an inquiry or investigation: a document of 1287 speaks of the ''ervarunge des schaden'', the assessment of a damage, and the criminal code of 1532 orders that, where there is no sufficient evidence, an ''erfarung'' (inquiry) be made.^(DWB2|8, 1701)^(DWB|3, 793) The sense of knowledge gained by practice is recorded from 1478, when Niclas von Wyle writes that one can never learn as much ''durch aigen erfarung'' “by one's own experience” as from reading.^(DWB2|8, 1701) Luther used the word for Latin ''probatio'' in Romans 5:4, ''gedult aber bringet erfarung''.^(DWB|3, 793)

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+ Older German also had ''Erfahrnis'' and ''Erfahrenheit''; many compounds such as ''Erfahrungssatz'', ''Erfahrungswelt'' and ''Erfahrungswissenschaft'' appeared in the 18th century, when the word became a term of philosophy beside ''Empirie''.^(Paul 2002) Adelung records ''eine Erfahrung machen'' and ''etwas in Erfahrung bringen'' “to find something out”.^(Adelung 1793)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th–12th century – Old High German ''irfarunga'' glosses Latin ''experimentum''.^(EWA|5, 160)

+ * 1287 – ''ervarunge'' “investigation” in a charter.^(DWB2|8, 1701)

+ * 1478 – First record of the sense “practical experience”.^(DWB2|8, 1701)

+ * 1532 – The criminal code of Charles V uses ''erfarung'' for a judicial inquiry.^(DWB|3, 793)

+ * 18th century – Compounds such as ''Erfahrungswissenschaft'' appear.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Knowledge and [[m|en|skill]] gained through practice or repetition; [[m|en|routine]]: ''Sie hat lange Erfahrung im Gartenbau.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An [[m|en|experience]] from which one learns something: ''Wir haben mit diesem Händler gute Erfahrungen gemacht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' Knowledge gained through perception and sensation, as the basis of [[m|en|cognition]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''etwas in Erfahrung bringen'': to find something out by inquiry.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Erfahrungswissenschaft]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[erfahren]]

+ * [[fahren]]

+ * [[Erfahrenheit]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ The proverb ''Erfahrung ist die beste Lehrmeisterin'' “experience is the best teacher” is listed by Duden.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}