über German · revision 35387

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈyːbɐ/, /ˈʏbɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''über''' (preposition with dative or accusative; also adverb)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|über]], [[inh|goh|ubiri|t=beyond, more]], [[inh|gem-pro|*ubiri|t=over, above]].^(Kluge 2011|938)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) In Old High German the preposition was usually [[m|goh|ubar]], while the umlauted form served as the adverb.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020) The modern form continues the adverb, as its umlaut shows, and has driven out the form without umlaut.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|23, 72) Traces of forms without umlaut survive in some dialects that otherwise have umlaut of /u/.^(DWB|23, 72)

+

+ The same word is [[got|𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂|tr=ufar]], [[non|yfir]], [[ang|ofer]], [[osx|oƀar]] and [[ofs|over]], and today [[nl|over]], [[en|over]] and [[sv|över]].^(Kluge 2011|938)^(Pfeifer 1993) It goes back to [[ine-pro|*upéri|t=over, above]], built on [[m|ine-pro|*upo|t=up from below]] with a comparative suffix in /r/.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same Indo-European form is continued by [[sa|उपरि|tr=upári|t=above]], [[grc|ὑπέρ|tr=hupér|t=over, beyond]], [[la|super]] (with a prefixed /s/) and [[sga|for]].^(Kluge 2011|938)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) It belongs with [[auf]], [[ob]] and [[obere]].^(Kluge 2011|938)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''ubar'' is recorded from the 8th century, and the adverb ''ubar'' “on top, beyond” in glosses of about 790.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) The Old High German texts, among them the ''Hildebrandslied'', Isidor, Otfrid, Tatian and Notker, use the preposition for “over, across, beyond, more than”, but also “opposite”, “apart from” and “for the sake of”.^(Schützeichel 2012|344)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the older language ''über'' was rarely used with the dative; [[ob]] or ''ober'' stood there instead.^(Paul 2002) Old High German already had the compound ''ubaral'', modern [[überall]] “everywhere”.^(Pfeifer 1993) [[überhaupt]] (15th century) goes back to Middle High German ''über houbet'' “over the heads”, that is, without counting the animals one by one, a phrase that probably comes from cattle farming; from it came the senses “altogether” and, in the 18th century, ''überhaupt nicht'' “not at all”.^(Pfeifer 1993) The adjective [[übrig]] “left over”, Middle High German ''überic'', also meant “superfluous”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) From it [[übrigens]] “by the way” was formed at the end of the 17th century, on the model of ''erstens''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ Colloquially ''über'' is also used as a predicative adjective in place of ''übrig'' (“left over”).^(Wiktionary) English has borrowed it as [[m|en|uber]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''ubar'' is first recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|938)

+ * c. 790 – The adverb ''ubar'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 15th century – ''überhaupt'' is first recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Late 17th century – ''übrigens'' is formed on the model of ''erstens''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 18th century – ''überhaupt nicht'' “not at all” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(with dative)'' [[m|en|above]], over: at a place higher than something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' Over: to a place higher than something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Over, on top of: covering something (a coat over the dress).^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' [[m|en|across]]: crossing a street, a bridge, a border.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' [[m|en|via]], by way of.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' During, over (a period of time, such as ''über Ostern'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' About, concerning: the subject of talk or thought.^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ # ''(with accusative)'' Beyond, more than (a quantity or limit).^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # More than (''über drei Kilo'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''über und über'': completely, all over.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(colloquial, predicative)'' [[m|en|left over]], remaining.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[über-]]

+ * [[überall]]

+ * [[überhaupt]]

+ * [[überein]]

+ * [[übrig]]

+ * [[übrigens]]

+ * [[Überbein]]

+ * [[Übergang]]

+ * [[Übermensch]]

+ * [[Überfluss]]

+ * [[überraschen]]

+ * [[überzwerch]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[drüben]]

+ * [[hüben]]

+ * [[obere]]

+ * [[auf]]

+ * [[ob]]

+ * [[oben]]

+ * [[en|over]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}