erfolgen German · revision 35453

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=late 8th century, Monsee Fragments|origins=gem-pro *fulgāną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [ʔɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡŋ̩], [ʔɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''erfolgen''' (third-person singular present erfolgt, past tense erfolgte, past participle erfolgt, auxiliary sein)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|ervolgen|t=to overtake, reach, attain]], [[inh|goh|irfolgēn|t=to persecute]], formed with the prefix [[er-]] from [[folgen]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|8, 1723)^(Köbler MHD)^(Wiktionary) The same formation is [[gml|ervolgen]] and [[dum|ervolgen]].^(DWB2|8, 1723)

+

+ The simple verb, [[m|goh|folgēn]] (8th century), goes back to [[gem-pro|*fulgāną|t=to follow]], also found in [[non|fylgja]], [[ofs|folgia]] and [[ang|folgian]], whence [[en|follow]].^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993) In its place the Bible translation of Wulfila uses [[m|got|𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=laistjan]].^(Kluge 2011|308) Its origin outside Germanic is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993) A link with [[cy|ôl|t=track, trace]], which would point to [[ine-pro|*pelgʰ-]], fits the meaning but is ambiguous in its sounds and stands alone.^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge finds a connection with [[befehlen]] the most satisfying from the Germanic side, though the meanings do not match well, and Pfeifer reports a similar proposal by Falk and Torp, with a development “cover” – “protect” – “join someone's following”.^(Kluge 2011|308)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Old High German verb is recorded once, in the Monsee fragments of the Gospel of Matthew (late 8th century), rendering the Latin word for persecution in Matthew 13:21.^(DWB2|8, 1723)^(Köbler AHD) Middle High German ''ervolgen'' meant to overtake, catch, reach, attain or obtain (also by a lawsuit), and reflexively to come true or happen;^(Köbler MHD)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB2|8, 1723) Köbler's earliest text is Hartmann's ''Erec'' (about 1185).^(Köbler MHD)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB2|8, 1723)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German the verb was mostly transitive, “to catch up with, reach, attain”, and until the 16th century it was frequent in legal texts; these senses declined in Early New High German, and in modern German the intransitive “to happen as a result” prevails.^(DWB2|8, 1723)^(FWB) Luther played on the prefixes: ''wenn erfolgen so leicht were als verfolgen'' (“if attaining were as easy as persecuting”).^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 803) Paul explains that the prefix makes the verb express the arrival of a result, while the idea of sequence in time recedes.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Adelung (1793) gives it the auxiliary ''sein'' and the senses “to follow upon something” and “to follow as an effect from a cause”, and notes that Upper German uses it for the simple verb in almost every case.^(Adelung 1793) In letters ''erfolgt'' long meant “enclosed herewith”, and Goethe wrote that two requested books would ''erfolgen'' soon.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 803) Today it often serves as a faded verb in formal style, where a sentence about a payment “taking place” simply means that it is made.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ The noun [[Erfolg]] is a back-formation from the verb.^(Kluge 2011|254)^(Paul 2002) Kluge dates it to the 17th century and suggests the influence of French [[m|fr|succéder]] and [[m|fr|succès]], while Paul, following the Swiss dictionary, puts it at the beginning of the 16th century; its sense “success” has prevailed since the middle of the 18th century.^(Kluge 2011|254)^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''irfolgēn'' in the Monsee fragments.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|8, 1723)

+ * c. 1185 – Middle High German ''ervolgen'' in Hartmann's ''Erec''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 16th century – Luther contrasts ''erfolgen'' with ''verfolgen''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – The back-formation ''Erfolg'' becomes established.^(Kluge 2011|254)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1793 – Adelung records the senses “to follow upon” and “to result”.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|happen]], take place, [[m|en|occur]], especially as the result of something: ''Die Antwort erfolgte sofort.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(formal)'' With a verbal noun as subject, a faded use saying that the action is carried out: ''Die Zahlung erfolgt per Überweisung.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(dated)'' To follow, [[m|en|ensue]] as a consequence: ''daraus erfolgte nichts Gutes''.^(Adelung 1793)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Erfolg]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[folgen]]

+ * [[verfolgen]]

+ * [[Folge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}