früher German · revision 35346

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=before 1022, Notker|origins=ine-pro *prō-}}

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''früher''' (strong nominative masculine singular früherer, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|de|früh|-er]], as the comparative of the adjective and adverb.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB2|9, 1164) Before the 18th century it was rare; then the senses “former” and “formerly” became fixed and lost their comparative force.^(DWB2|9, 1164)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ The base continues [[goh|fruo]], an adverb found only in German and Dutch, from [[gmw-pro|*frō]]; outside Germanic it is compared with [[grc|πρωί|tr=prōí|t=early]] and [[sa|प्रातर्|tr=prātár|t=early]], from [[ine-pro|*prō-|t=early, before]].^(Kluge 2011|321)^(Duden 7 2020|291) Kluge places that ultimately under [[ine-pro|*per-|t=forward, early, first]].^(Kluge 2011|321) The Old High German adjective [[m|goh|fruoi]] was derived from the adverb.^(Duden 7 2020|291)^(EWA|3, 608)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in Notker, before 1022: ''ioh noh frûor fone des ih keboren uuard'' (“and even earlier, from when I was born”), with the comparative adverb in the sense “earlier, sooner”.^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 18th century ''früher'' was used mainly as a plain comparative, “earlier, sooner”, as in the Benedictine rule of 1388, which says that on a certain day the monks should rise ''früer'' than on other days.^(DWB2|9, 1164) Then the adjective “past, former” and the adverb “formerly, in the past” were lexicalised, with no comparison implied.^(DWB2|9, 1164)^(Duden 7 2007) Duden explains this by the general use of ''früh'' as the opposite of ''spät''.^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1022 – Notker uses the comparative adverb ''frûor''.^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+ * 1388 – A manuscript of the Benedictine rule has ''früer'' “earlier”.^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+ * 1491 – The Nuremberg chronicle uses ''früer'' of the town gates being closed earlier.^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+ * 18th century – The senses “former” and “formerly” become fixed.^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Past, earlier: ''in früheren Jahrhunderten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # [[m|en|former]], [[m|en|erstwhile]], previous: ''die frühere Bürgermeisterin''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|formerly]], in the past: ''sie war früher Lehrerin'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''von früher erzählen'', to talk about the old days.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Comparative of [[früh]]: earlier, sooner.^(Wiktionary)^(DWB2|9, 1164)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[früh]]

+ * [[Frühe]]

+ * [[Frühling]]

+ * [[Frühstück]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}