beschließen German · revision 35345

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gmw-pro *bisleutan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈʃliːsən/, [bɘˈʃliːsn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''beschließen''' (class 2 strong, third-person singular present beschließt, past tense beschloss, past participle beschlossen, past subjunctive beschlösse, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|besliezen]], [[inh|goh|bisliozan|t=to shut, enclose, conclude]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bisleutan]], made of the prefix [[be-]] and [[schließen]].^(Kluge 2011|113)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same compound is [[nl|besluiten]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The simple verb, [[goh|sliozan]], is limited to German, Dutch and Frisian ([[gml|slūten]], [[ofs|slūta]]).^(Kluge 2011|811)^(Duden 7 2020|742) Kluge compares the s-less [[la|claudō|t=to shut]], which goes with [[m|la|clāvis|t=key, bolt]], [[grc|κλείς|tr=kleís|t=bolt, hook, key]] and [[sga|cló|t=nail]], so that to shut was to put a bolt across.^(Kluge 2011|811)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bisliozan'' appears in glosses at the end of the 8th century (Pfeifer: 9th century), and then in the Tatian and Notker, meaning to shut, lock up, enclose, keep under lock, bring to an end and infer.^(Kluge 2011|113)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The original sense “to lock” is now obsolete: Paul finds ''eine Tür beschließen'' until the 17th century, and only in some regions, as in Switzerland, later.^(Kluge 2011|113)^(Paul 2002) It survives in the dated ''Beschließerin'', a housekeeper or stewardess.^(Kluge 2011|113)^(Paul 2002) Luther also used it for “to enclose”, of a city surrounded by a wall.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Already in Middle High German it meant “to end” and “to come to a conclusion, decide”, literally to come to the close of one's thinking.^(Kluge 2011|113)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|164) Luther writes of a man who ''beschleusst solches in seinem hertzen'' (“decides this in his heart”, 1 Corinthians 7:37).^(Paul 2002) From the 18th century it is common for decisions taken by a vote, as Möser's ''beschloszene reichsverfassung''.^(Paul 2002) The noun ''Beschluss'', late Middle High German “closure, end”, has meant “decision” since the 15th century.^(Duden 7 2014|164)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''bisliozan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|113)

+ * 15th century – ''Beschluss'' takes on the sense “decision”.^(Duden 7 2014|164)

+ * 17th century – The sense “to lock (a door)” goes out of general use.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|decide]] or resolve, usually after reflection: ''sie beschloss, nach Kanada auszuwandern''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a body, to decide by majority vote, to [[m|en|pass]]: ''der Stadtrat beschließt den Haushalt''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(with über)'' To vote on something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|conclude]] or end: ''den Abend mit einem Konzert beschließen'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) ''sein Leben beschließen'', to die.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To enclose or confine; to close up.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Beschluss]]

+ * [[Beschließer]]

+ * [[Beschließerin]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[schließen]]

+ * [[entschließen]]

+ * [[Schluss]]

+ * [[Schloss]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Eine beschlossene Sache'' is something already settled, which will be carried out.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}