Kontakt German · revision 35362

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1681|origins=la tangō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kɔnˈtakt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Kontakt''' ''m'' (genitive Kontaktes or Kontakts, plural Kontakte)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|contāctus|t=touch, contact]], the noun of [[la|contingō|t=to touch]], a compound of [[la|con-|t=with, together]] and [[la|tangō|t=to touch]].^(Kluge 2011|526)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|465)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Pfeifer calls it a learned borrowing of the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[nl|contact]], [[en|contact]], [[fr|contact]] and [[sv|kontakt]].^(Kluge 2011|526)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is from 1681, in a treatise by Lebenwaldt on the devil's tricks, where it means physical “touch”.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002) Kluge says that the sense was at first negative, “contagion”.^(Kluge 2011|526)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Kluge notes that the positive sense later won out over the negative one.^(Kluge 2011|526) The word became common only in the 19th century, as in Alexander von Humboldt's “contact with the world of the senses” (1845), and was furthered by electrical engineering; the sense “connection between people” became frequent only in the 20th century.^(Paul 2002)^(DFWB) Pfeifer adds that it established itself under the influence of the international technical languages, against the early resistance of the language purists, and formed a great many compounds after 1950.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Paul dates ''kontaktarm'', ''kontaktfreudig'', ''Kontaktperson'' and similar words mostly after 1945; the verb ''kontaktieren'' “to get in touch with” follows [[en|contact]] and [[fr|contacter]].^(Paul 2002) Hebrew borrowed the word as [[he|קונטקט|tr=kontakt]] for self-adhesive film.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1681 – First record, in Lebenwaldt.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1794 – Lichtenberg writes of things in “immediate contact”.^(DFWB)

+ * 1845 – Humboldt uses it in the ''Kosmos''.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1941 – The Duden records ''Kontaktglas'' for a contact lens.^(Paul 2002)

+ * After 1945 – Compounds such as ''kontaktarm'' and ''Kontaktperson'' spread.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|contact|alt=Contact]], a connection with someone, made once or kept up: ''Wir haben den Kontakt zu unseren alten Nachbarn verloren.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal, technical)'' Touch, physical contact: ''Das Material darf nicht mit Wasser in Kontakt kommen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(electrical engineering)'' A touch that lets current flow; also the [[m|en|terminal]] or part that makes the connection: ''Die Kontakte der Batterie sind korrodiert.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(chemical engineering)'' A solid [[m|en|catalyst]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[kontaktieren]]

+ * [[kontaktlos]]

+ * [[kontaktfreudig]]

+ * [[kontaktscheu]]

+ * [[Kontaktperson]]

+ * [[Kontaktanzeige]]

+ * [[Kontaktlinse]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Tangente]]

+ * [[en|contact]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}