Dienst German · revision 35438

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [diːnst]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Dienst''' ''m'' (genitive Dienstes or Diensts, plural Dienste)^(Wiktionary)

+ In early Old High German the word was neuter, in Notker masculine;^(DWB2|6, 974) Middle High German used both, but since the 15th century it has been almost only masculine.^(DWB2|6, 974) A weak plural ''Diensten'' occurs from the 15th to the 18th century and in Swiss and western Low German dialects.^(DWB2|6, 974)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|dienest]], [[inh|goh|dionōst]], [[inh|gem-pro|*þewanōstaz|t=service]], an abstract noun formed with a suffix in -st from the verb [[dienen]].^(Kluge 2011|199)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|thionost]] and [[ofs|thiānost]], and with another suffix [[non|þjónusta]].^(Kluge 2011|199)^(DWB2|6, 974) Old English [[m|ang|þēonest]] is recorded only once and is put down to Norse influence.^(DWB2|6, 974)

+

+ The verb, [[goh|dionōn]], continues [[gem-pro|*þewanōną|t=to serve]], derived from [[gem-pro|*þewaz|t=servant]], which is found in [[got|𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍃|tr=þius|t=servant]] and [[ang|þēow]] and in the first part of [[Demut]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2007) Pfeifer and Duden connect it with [[ine-pro|*tekʷ-|t=to run, flow]], as in [[lt|tekėti|t=to run, flow]] and [[ru|течь|tr=teč’|t=to flow]], so that the servant would first have been a “runner” and the verb meant “to be a servant”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Pfeifer calls this connection only possible.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates Old High German ''dionōst'' from glosses of about 765, and the Benedictine Rule (790/802) has ''dera deonosti'' for Latin ''servitii''.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|6, 974) It meant “service, waiting on someone, subjection, servitude”, and is found in Tatian, Otfrid, Notker and the Weißenburger Katechismus.^(Schützeichel 2012|73)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''dienest'' covered devotion, religious duties and attendance, and the duties of the feudal order, including the lover's service to his lady.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD) It also meant the dues owed by a holding, in money, kind or labour (whence [[Frondienst]]), and the servants themselves.^(FWB)^(Adelung 1793) Religious service survives in [[Gottesdienst]]; [[Dienstmann]] translated Medieval Latin ''ministerialis'', a lower vassal, and in the 19th century came to mean a porter.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Later the word came to mean a post or employment and the work done in it, and in the 20th century also an organisation providing a service, as in [[Geheimdienst]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE) In art history ''Dienst'' is the slender shaft of a Gothic pier that carries a rib of the vault.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''dionōst'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 790/802 – Used in the Old High German Benedictine Rule.^(DWB2|6, 974)

+ * Before 1022 – Masculine in Notker.^(DWB2|6, 974)

+ * 13th century – Masculine gender becomes the usual one.^(DWB2|6, 974)

+ * 19th century – ''Dienstmann'' comes to mean a porter.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Work, the carrying out of one's professional duties: ''Die Ärztin hat heute Nachtdienst und beginnt ihren Dienst um 22 Uhr.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A post, an [[m|en|employment]], an [[m|en|office]]: ''in den Dienst einer Firma treten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A branch of public service: ''der öffentliche Dienst''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A group of people or an organisation providing a [[m|en|service]]: ''der ärztliche Dienst''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Help, assistance, a [[m|en|favour]]: ''jemandem einen Dienst erweisen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(architecture)'' A slender [[m|en|shaft]] in Gothic architecture that carries a rib of the vault.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(computing)'' A service, a program that runs without a user interface.^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[dienstbar]]

+ * [[dienstlich]]

+ * [[Gottesdienst]]

+ * [[Dienstbote]]

+ * [[Dienstleistung]]

+ * [[Dienstmann]]

+ * [[Geheimdienst]]

+ * [[Bärendienst]]

+ * [[Frondienst]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dienen]]

+ * [[Diener]]

+ * [[verdienen]]

+ * [[Demut]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Außer Dienst'' after a title marks a retired official or officer.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Jemandem auf den Dienst lauern'', to watch someone closely in the hope of catching them out, originally meant to watch whether a servant did his duty.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Dienst ist Dienst, und Schnaps ist Schnaps'' is a saying that work and pleasure must be kept apart.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}