Behörde German · revision 35462

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1670}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈhøːɐ̯də/, /bəˈhœʁdə/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''Behörde''' ''f'' (genitive Behörde, plural Behörden)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a chancery formation [[der|gml|behören|t=to belong to, be due]], which corresponds to High German [[m|gmh|behœren|t=to belong, be fitting]] and to the modern [[gehören]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2014|159) The verb is formed with [[m|gmh|be-]] from [[hören]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|159) Kluge stresses the Low German use of the verb for “to belong to”, while Pfeifer and the Duden connect it with the older High German verb.^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|159)

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+ The noun first meant “what is due or proper”, then “the place where something belongs”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|159) The sense “public office” most likely comes from the phrase “at the appropriate place” (behörigen Orts), recorded from the middle of the 17th century, so that the word is properly “the office to which a matter belongs”.^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kluge, Pfeifer and the 2014 Duden date the word to the 17th century, while the 2007 Duden says the 18th.^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|159)^(Duden 7 2007) The revised Grimm dictionary's first quotation is from Grimmelshausen's ''Simplicissimus'' (1670), where two letters are to be sent the next day ''ihrer behörde'', to their proper recipients.^(DWB2|4, 703) In this first sense it meant the rightful destination or recipient of something.^(DWB2|4, 703)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 18th century the word was still general: Adelung gives “what is proper or needed”, “what belongs to something” (the appurtenance, now [[Zubehör]]) and “the proper place”, especially a court of the right instance, and says it was most frequent in Upper German.^(Adelung 1793) Goethe could still use it for “duty, office”: in ''Reineke Fuchs'' (1794) the king is told that punishing robbery and murder is his highest ''Behörde''.^(DWB2|4, 703)^(Paul 2002)

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+ From the end of the 18th century it narrowed to “government office”,^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|4, 703) and in the 19th century compounds such as ''Ortsbehörde'', ''Gerichtsbehörde'' and ''Polizeibehörde'' appeared.^(Paul 2002) The adjective [[behördlich]] “official” is recorded from the second half of the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) Today the word also covers church authorities and the building that houses an office.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mid-17th century – The phrase ''behörigen Orts'' “at the appropriate place” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1670 – Grimmelshausen uses ''Behörde'' for the proper recipient of letters.^(DWB2|4, 703)

+ * 1753 – A Bavarian legal code requires appeals to be handed in ''bey der behörde''.^(DWB2|4, 703)

+ * 1794 – Goethe uses the word for “duty, office” in ''Reineke Fuchs''.^(DWB2|4, 703)^(Paul 2002)

+ * Late 18th century – ''Behörde'' comes to mean “government office”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Second half of the 19th century – ''behördlich'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A public [[m|en|authority]]: a state, municipal or church office that carries out administrative tasks: ''Die Behörde hat den Antrag abgelehnt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The seat or building of such an office: ''Er muss morgen früh auf die Behörde.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' [[m|en|duty|alt=Duty]], task, office.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[behördlich]]

+ * [[behördlicherseits]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gehören]]

+ * [[hören]]

+ * [[Zubehör]]

+ * [[gehörig]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}