Täter German · revision 35447

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=15th century|origins=ine-pro *dʰeh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈtɛːtər/, [ˈtɛː.tɐ], [ˈteː.tɐ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Täter''' ''m'' (genitive Täters, plural Täter, feminine Täterin)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|de|Tat|-er]]; it first occurs as the second element of compounds such as [[gmh|übeltæter|t=evildoer]] and [[m|gmh|missetæter]], and became an independent word in the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Wiktionary DE) Wiktionary describes it as a back-formation from the older compounds [[Missetäter]], [[Übeltäter]] and [[Wohltäter]], like [[nl|dader]].^(Wiktionary) It is now felt to belong to [[tun]] rather than to the noun.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ The noun is [[m|gmh|tāt]], [[goh|tāt]], [[osx|dād]], from [[gem-pro|*dēdiz|t=deed]], also found in [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌴𐌸𐍃|tr=gadeþs]], [[non|dáð]] and [[ang|dǣd]], whence [[en|deed]].^(Kluge 2011|908)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) It is an abstract noun in [[ine-pro|*-tis]] with ablaut from the root of the verb, [[m|ine-pro|*dʰeh₁-|t=to put, place]], like [[grc|θέσις|tr=thésis|t=a placing]] and [[lt|dėtis|alt=dė́tis|t=load]].^(Kluge 2011|908)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary date the independent noun to the 15th century;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Middle High German had ''-tæter'' only in compounds.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The Early New High German dictionary gives it two senses, “offender, criminal” and “one who carries out an action”.^(FWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 19th century ''Täter'' could still mean any doer, as in ''Wohltäter'' “benefactor” and ''Wundertäter'' “miracle worker”, beside “criminal”; the neutral sense is now rare.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary) In law and in everyday use it is the person who has committed an offence, and compounds such as ''Gewalttäter'' (violent offender) and ''Wiederholungstäter'' (repeat offender) name kinds of offender.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) Since 1945 the pairing ''Täter und Opfer'' (“perpetrators and victims”) has often referred to the National Socialists and those they persecuted and murdered, and also to members of other totalitarian systems and their victims.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''tāt'' “deed” appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|908)

+ * Middle High German – ''-tæter'' occurs in compounds such as ''übeltæter''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+ * 15th century – ''Täter'' is first used on its own.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 19th century – The general sense “doer” fades.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1945 – ''Täter und Opfer'' comes to refer above all to the Nazi era.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|perpetrator]], someone who has committed a crime or a wrongful act: ''Der Täter floh mit einem gestohlenen Fahrrad.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(rare)'' A [[m|en|doer]], one who does something.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Ersttäter]]

+ * [[Gewalttäter]]

+ * [[Schreibtischtäter]]

+ * [[Wiederholungstäter]]

+ * [[Täterin]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Missetäter]]

+ * [[Übeltäter]]

+ * [[Wohltäter]]

+ * [[Tat]]

+ * [[tun]]

+ * [[tätig]]

+ * [[tätlich]]

+ * [[en|deed]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}