gegen German · revision 35419

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=9th century|origins=gem-pro *gagin}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɡe.ɡən/, [ˈɡeː.ɡn̩], [ˈɡeː.ɡŋ̍]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gegen''' (preposition with the accusative)^(Wiktionary)

+ In older German it took the dative, beside which the accusative appears from the 11th century;^(Paul 2002) Luther used both, and the dative still occurs in Lessing and Goethe (''gegen ihr über'').^(Paul 2002) Middle High German contracted it to ''gein'', ''gēn'', from which comes biblical and poetic [[gen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gegen]], [[inh|goh|gagan]] (also ⟨gegin⟩), [[inh|gmw-pro|*gagin]], [[inh|gem-pro|*gagin]].^(Kluge 2011|340)^(Wiktionary) Kluge sets up the Germanic forms ⟨*gagna-⟩, as in [[non|gagn]] and [[ang|geagn]], and ⟨*gegni-⟩, as in [[m|non|gegn]], [[m|ang|gegn]] and [[ofs|jēn]].^(Kluge 2011|340) Related are [[osx|gegin-]], [[dum|jeghen]] and Old English [[m|ang|ongegn]], the source of English [[m|en|again]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|307) Kluge compares Old Norse [[m|non|gaghals|t=with the head bent back]].^(Kluge 2011|340)

+

+ There are no clear comparisons outside Germanic, and the word is of unknown origin.^(Kluge 2011|340)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|307) Orel tentatively derives the word from [[gem-pro|*ganganą|t=to go]] by metathesis;^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary also mentions an analysis as [[gem-pro|*ga-|t=with]] and a negative element, “not with”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''gagan'', ''gegin'' is recorded from the 9th century, first in the Benedictine Rule (about 800), then in glosses, the Murbach hymns and Notker.^(EWA|4, 7)^(Köbler AHD) With the dative it meant “towards, against, opposite, in relation to, in exchange for”, with the accusative “in the direction of”.^(EWA|4, 7)^(Schützeichel 2012|119)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word first gave a direction, “towards”, in space (''gegen den Baum laufen'') and in time (''gegen Abend''), and then a relation to people or things (''gütig gegen alte Leute'' “kind to old people”).^(Pfeifer 1993) From this came the sense “against”, of deliberate opposition or hostility.^(Pfeifer 1993) The spatial sense “towards” was common with verbs of motion until about 1800 and is now nearly obsolete.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The word forms many compounds, such as [[Gegensatz]] (15th century, probably a loan translation of Latin ''oppositio'') and [[Gegenstand]] (16th century).^(Duden 7 2020|307) The derived verb Middle High German ''gegenen'' “to meet” died out, but [[begegnen]] and [[entgegnen]] remain;^(Duden 7 2020|307) ''entgegnen'' has meant “to reply” only since about 1800.^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''gagan'' appears in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|4, 7)

+ * 11th century – ''gegen'' begins to take the accusative.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 15th century – ''Gegensatz'' is formed.^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+ * 16th century – ''Gegenstand'' is recorded.^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+ * c. 1800 – The spatial sense “towards” becomes rare;^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|307) ''entgegnen'' takes the sense “to reply”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|307)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|against]]: in opposition to, to counter (''gegen den Hunger kämpfen'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Against, onto, in collision with (''gegen die Wand stoßen''); also against a current (''gegen den Wind'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Towards, in the direction of.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Towards, in relation to a person (''gütig gegen alte Leute'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Around, [[m|en|approximately]] (''gegen Abend'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Compared with.^(Wiktionary)

+ # In [[m|en|exchange]] for.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(medicine)'' For, as a remedy against.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gegend]]

+ * [[Gegner]]

+ * [[begegnen]]

+ * [[entgegnen]]

+ * [[entgegen]]

+ * [[gegenüber]]

+ * [[Gegensatz]]

+ * [[Gegenstand]]

+ * [[gen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|again]]

+ * [[en|against]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}