dienen German · revision 35334

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=about 765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *þewanōną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [ˈdiːnən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dienen''' (third-person singular present dient, past tense diente, past participle gedient, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|dienen]], [[inh|goh|thionōn]], [[inh|gem-pro|*þewanōną|t=to serve]].^(Kluge 2011|199)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same verb is [[osx|thionon]], [[ofs|thiānia]] and [[non|þjóna]], continued in [[nl|dienen]], [[sv|tjäna]] and [[is|þjóna]];^(Kluge 2011|199)^(DWB2|6, 947) Pfeifer asks whether the Norse verb came from Middle Low German.^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge suggests that it replaced an older verb seen in [[got|𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌺𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽|tr=skalkinon|t=to serve]], from [[m|got|𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌺𐍃|tr=skalks|t=servant]].^(Kluge 2011|199)

+

+ It is a derivative, with an /n/ extension, of [[gem-pro|*þewaz|t=servant, slave]], found in [[got|𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍃|tr=þius|t=servant]] and [[ang|þēow|t=servant, slave]], and in the first part of [[Demut]].^(Kluge 2011|199)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|203) The verb thus first meant “to be a servant”, as [[la|serviō]] stands beside [[m|la|servus]].^(Duden 7 2020|203)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The servant may have been “a runner”: the noun is perhaps from [[ine-pro|*tekʷ-|t=to run, flow]], found in [[lt|tekėti|t=to run, flow]], [[m|lt|tekūnas|t=runner, messenger]] and [[lv|teksnis|t=attendant]].^(Kluge 2011|199)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|203) Pfeifer and the revised Grimm dictionary present this link only as possible.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|6, 947)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''dionōn'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765, and then in the Isidor, the Benedictine Rule, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning to serve, wait on, be subject or obliging to someone, and also to humble.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|73)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''dienen'' was used of the service of God, of a lord and of a lady in courtly love, of waiting at table, and of paying dues: a rent could be said to ''dienen'' to a monastery.^(Lexer 1872|1, 426)^(Köbler MHD)^(FWB) The Grimms note that its first sense, to be someone's servant or subject, lived on in Luther's Bible.^(DWB|2, 1103)^(Adelung 1793) A special use refers to military service.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB)

+

+ With part of the meaning dropped it came to mean “to be helpful, useful”, ''jemandem mit etwas dienen'', and then, with things as subject, “to serve a purpose”, as in Luther's ''alle Dinge zum Besten dienen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|203) The revised Grimm dictionary notes that the sense of service owed to someone dominated until the second half of the 18th century, and the sense of being suited or used for something since then.^(DWB2|6, 947) From the noun [[Diener]] came, at the end of the 17th century, the sense “a bow”, after the polite formula ''gehorsamster Diener'', which gave [[dienern]] “to bow and scrape” in the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|203)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 765 – Old High German ''dionōn'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 8th century – ''thionōst'' “service”, the ancestor of ''Dienst'', is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 11th century – ''thionāri'' “servant” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – ''dienlich'' “useful” is recorded, according to Pfeifer;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|203)^(Paul 2002) Duden and Paul date it to the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|203)^(Paul 2002)

+ * End of the 17th century – ''Diener'' takes on the sense “bow”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Second half of the 18th century – The sense “to be used for, serve a purpose” becomes dominant.^(DWB2|6, 947)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|serve]]: to work for someone in a dependent position, to be in someone's service: ''Sie diente viele Jahre in einem Gasthaus.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To do military service: ''Er hat zwei Jahre bei der Marine gedient.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(elevated)'' To devote oneself to a cause or a person and work for it: ''Er diente der Stadt als Bürgermeister.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be useful or intended for something: ''Die Maßnahme dient dem Schutz der Kinder.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To help someone: ''Womit kann ich Ihnen dienen?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be used as something, to serve as: ''Die alte Scheune dient heute als Werkstatt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Diener]]

+ * [[Dienst]]

+ * [[dienlich]]

+ * [[bedienen]]

+ * [[verdienen]]

+ * [[Verdienst]]

+ * [[ausdienen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Demut]]

+ * [[Dirne]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Niemand kann zwei Herren dienen'' (“no one can serve two masters”) follows Matthew 6:24 in Luther's translation.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}