unser German · revision 35412

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century|origins=gem-pro *unseraz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʔʊnzɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''unser'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|unser]], [[inh|goh|unsēr]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*unsar]], [[inh|gem-pro|*unseraz|t=our]].^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|889) The same possessive is [[got|𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂|tr=unsar]], [[non|várr]] and [[ang|ūser]], [[m|ang|ūre]], the source of English [[m|en|our]]; a shorter form is behind [[osx|ūsa]], [[gml|ūse]] and Dutch [[m|nl|onze]].^(DWB|24, 1369)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|889)

+

+ It is derived from [[uns]], the dative and accusative of [[wir]], Germanic [[gem-pro|*unsaz]], which Kluge finds matched exactly by [[hit|anzaš]].^(Duden 7 2020|889)^(Kluge 2011|943) Pfeifer traces ⟨uns⟩ to [[ine-pro|*ṇs]], the zero grade of the plural [[ine-pro|*nes]] of the pronoun stem [[ine-pro|*ne-]], whose lengthened grade is [[la|nōs|t=we, us]].^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary reconstructs the possessive as [[ine-pro|*n̥-s-ero-]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''unsēr'' is recorded from the 8th century, in glosses and in the Hildebrandslied, Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Beside the possessive there is an older ''unser'' that is the genitive of ''wir'' (“of us”); the Grimms' dictionary finds the original relation between the two not established.^(DWB|24, 1367) Umlauted forms such as ''ünser'' are found from the end of the 13th century, especially in Upper German, but never became standard.^(DWB|24, 1369) The extended form [[unsrig]] dates from the 16th century.^(Duden 7 2020|889) The Lord's Prayer, beginning ''Vater unser'', gave the noun [[Vaterunser]].^(Duden 7 2020|889)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''unsēr'' is first recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * End of the 13th century – Umlauted ''ünser'' appears in Upper German.^(DWB|24, 1369)

+ * 16th century – ''unsrig'' is formed.^(Duden 7 2020|889)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Determiner===

+ # [[m|en|our]]: belonging to or associated with the speakers (''unser Sohn'', ''unsere Heimat'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Without a noun: ours (''das ist nicht euer Verdienst, sondern unsrer'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # As a royal or modest plural, for ''mein'' “my”; also, in familiar speech to children or patients, for “your”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[uns]]

+ * [[wir]]

+ * [[en|our]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ As the genitive of ''wir'' “we”, ''unser'' means “of us”.^(DWB|24, 1367)^(Duden GWDS 1999) It is often shortened to ''unsre'', ''unsrem'' and so on (''unsere'' or ''unsre Heimat'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}