mindestens German · revision 35361

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=early 18th century|origins=gem-pro *minnistaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmɪndəstəns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mindestens'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed from [[mindest]] “least” with the adverbial genitive ending -ens, remodelling the older phrase [[m|de|zum Mindesten]].^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2020|555)^(DWB|12, 2235)

+

+ Its base is [[gmh|minnest]], [[goh|minnist]], from [[gem-pro|*minnistaz]], the superlative belonging to [[minder]]; the same word is [[got|𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃|tr=minnists]] and [[non|minnstr]].^(Kluge 2011|623)^(Duden 7 2020|555) The ⟨d⟩ arose in Early New High German between /n/ and /r/ in the comparative, [[m|gmh|minner]], and was later carried over to the superlative.^(Kluge 2011|623)^(EWA|6, 455)

+

+ Outside Germanic the comparative is matched by [[la|minor]] and [[la|minimus]].^(Kluge 2011|623) Kluge derives the Germanic /nn/ from /nw/, after a present like [[la|minuō|t=to lessen]], [[grc|μινύθω|tr=minúthō]] and [[sa|मिनाति|tr=minā́ti]], formed from the root [[ine-pro|*mey-|t=to lessen]].^(Kluge 2011|623)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Grimms' dictionary says that the word came up for ''zum mindesten'' fairly late and was first entered in dictionaries at the beginning of the 18th century: Kramer's German–Dutch dictionary (1719) has ''minstens'' “at least”.^(DWB|12, 2235) Duden also dates it to the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2020|555)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It took over from the older ''zum mindesten'' and ''zum wenigsten'', as Adelung records.^(Adelung 1793)^(DWB|12, 2235) The Grimms quote it from poetry of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, from Gökingk's songs (1779) to Platen and Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.^(DWB|12, 2235)

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+ Modern usage has two senses: with numbers, “no less than”, and in a wider sense “at any rate”, the same as [[wenigstens]] and [[zumindest]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1719 – Kramer's dictionary records ''minstens''.^(DWB|12, 2235)

+ * 1779 – Gökingk uses ''mindstens'' in a love song.^(DWB|12, 2235)

+ * 1793 – Adelung explains ''mindestens'' as ''zum mindesten''.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # With a number or amount: at [[m|en|least]], no fewer than: ''Die Reparatur kostet mindestens zweihundert Euro.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In any case, at least: ''Er hätte sich mindestens bedanken können.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[minder]]

+ * [[mindest]]

+ * [[wenigstens]]

+ * [[zumindest]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}