um German · revision 35384

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German|origins=ine-pro *h₂m̥bʰi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʊm/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''um''' (preposition with accusative; also adverb and conjunction)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|umbe]], [[inh|goh|umbi]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*umbi]], [[inh|gem-pro|*umbi|t=around, about]].^(Kluge 2011|940)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|umbi]], [[ang|ymbe]] and [[non|umb]], and today [[nl|om]] and [[sv|om]].^(Kluge 2011|940)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Gothic lacks it; in meaning it is matched by [[m|got|𐌱𐌹|tr=bi]], which may come from the second part of the word.^(Kluge 2011|940)

+

+ Outside Germanic it corresponds to [[sa|अभि|tr=abhí|t=around, on both sides]], [[sga|imm]] and [[xtg|ambi-]] in names, and with a different vowel to [[grc|ἀμφί|tr=amphí|t=around]] and [[la|amb-]].^(Kluge 2011|940)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Pfeifer sets up [[ine-pro|*m̥bʰi]] as the zero grade of [[m|ine-pro|*ambʰi|t=around, on both sides]].^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen and Wiktionary take it as an old instrumental of the noun [[m|ine-pro|*h₂ent-|t=face, front]], through [[m|ine-pro|*h₂m̥bʰi]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) Kluge calls its further origin unclear, and connects [[bei]] and [[beide]].^(Kluge 2011|940)

+

+ Central German dialects regularly have the umlauted ⟨üm⟩; standard ⟨um⟩ is the Upper German form, where umlaut of /u/ was blocked before labial clusters.^(Wiktionary)^(DWB|23, 761) The ⟨b⟩ of ⟨umbe⟩ was assimilated in Low and Central German, giving ⟨umme⟩.^(DWB|23, 761)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''umbi'' is recorded from the 8th century.^(Kluge 2011|940)^(Pfeifer 1993) In Isidor, Otfrid, Tatian, Notker and other texts it means “around, round about, near”, but also “because of”, “for the sake of”, “for” and “concerning”, as in ''umbi mitten dag'' “at midday”.^(Schützeichel 2012|347)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The original spatial sense “around” has survived, beside many transferred uses.^(Duden 7 2020) With times it marks an exact point (''um 12 Uhr'') or an approximate one (''um Pfingsten''); it also gives a cause (''jemanden um etwas beneiden''), an aim (''um Hilfe bitten''), and with the genitive the phrase ''um … willen'' “for the sake of”; with ''zu'' and an infinitive it became a conjunction “in order to”.^(Pfeifer 1993) As an adverb it means “about” (''er ist um zwanzig'') and “over, past” (''die Stunde ist um'').^(Pfeifer 1993) In compounds it keeps the idea of enclosing (''umarmen''), or marks a change of direction or position (''umkehren'') or of shape (''umformen'').^(Duden 7 2020) Middle High German ''umbe sus'' “for nothing” is the source of [[umsonst]].^(Lexer 1872|2, 1721)

+

+ The umlauted form ''üm'' is found in literary texts until about 1700 and ruled in Early New High German printing in the north and centre.^(DWB|23, 761) In the 18th century ''um'' was still sometimes used with the dative, as in Lessing.^(Paul 2002) English borrowed [[m|en|umlaut]] in 1844.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''umbi'' is first recorded.^(Kluge 2011|940)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''umher'' “all around” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th–17th centuries – The umlauted ''üm'' becomes more and more regular in Nuremberg printing.^(DWB|23, 761)

+ * 17th century – ''nicht umhinkönnen'' “to be unable to avoid” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1700 – ''üm'' disappears from literary texts.^(DWB|23, 761)

+ * 18th century – ''mit umgehender Post'' “by return of post”, the source of ''umgehend'' “immediately” (19th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1844 – English borrows ''umlaut''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(with accusative)'' [[m|en|around]]: moving round a centre (''um die Sonne kreisen'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' Around: enclosing or surrounding something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # At: an exact time (''um sieben Uhr'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Around, about: an approximate time or value.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # By: the size of a difference.^(Wiktionary)

+ # For, about: what one asks for or what something concerns.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(Austria)'' For: the price of something.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''um … zu'': in order to.^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # About, [[m|en|approximately]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(predicative)'' [[m|en|over]], up: finished (''die Pause ist um'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ums]]

+ * [[umher]]

+ * [[umhin]]

+ * [[umgehend]]

+ * [[umsonst]]

+ * [[Umlaut]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bei]]

+ * [[beide]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}