bestimmt German · revision 35465

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=15th century}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [bəˈʃtɪmt]^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''bestimmt''' (strong nominative masculine singular bestimmter, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of the verb [[bestimmen]], used as an adjective “fixed, decided” since the 15th century and as an adverb “certainly” since about 1800.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|115) The verb goes back to [[gmh|bestimmen]], formed with [[m|gmh|be-]] from [[m|gmh|stimmen|t=to name; to fix, settle]], a derivative of [[Stimme]] “voice”; it first meant “to name or fix with one's voice”, then generally “to order, decree”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|115)^(Duden 7 2007)^(Lexer 1872|2, 1199)

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+ Kluge and Pfeifer date the verb to the 15th century, while Köbler already lists a Middle High German record from about 1173.^(Kluge 2011|115)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pfeifer dates the participial adjective, in the sense “fixed, decided”, to the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) The underlying verb meant “to name, designate” in the Middle High German poem ''Anegenge'' of about 1173,^(Köbler MHD) and the simple verb ''stimmen'' could mean “to fix”, as in ''ein zît gestimmet was'' (“a time had been fixed”) in the Middle High German life of Saint Elizabeth.^(Lexer 1872|2, 1199)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the philosophical and scientific language of the 18th century, following Christian Wolff, ''bestimmen'' came to mean “to define, determine exactly”, and ''bestimmt'' accordingly “precisely defined, definite”.^(Kluge 2011|115)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2007) From this came the use of ''ein bestimmter'' for something definite that the speaker does not name,^(Paul 2002) and the grammatical term ''bestimmter Artikel'' “definite article”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The participle also expressed destiny, as in ''füreinander bestimmt'' “meant for each other”, which Paul quotes from Leisewitz.^(Paul 2002) The Grimms' dictionary quotes Klopstock's ''Messias'' with the sense “destined”.^(DWB|1, 1679)

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+ Around 1800 ''bestimmt'' became a fashionable word of certainty, and Campe records ''ganz bestimmt'' “quite certainly” in 1807.^(Paul 2002) Applied to people it means “firm, decided”, comparable with French ''décidé''.^(Paul 2002) English musicians took it over as a performance direction meaning “with decision”.^(LWP)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1173 – Middle High German ''bestimmen'' “to name” is recorded in the ''Anegenge''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 15th century – The participle ''bestimmt'' is used as an adjective “fixed, decided”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''bestimmen'' takes on the sense “to define” in philosophical language.^(Kluge 2011|115)^(Duden 7 2007)

+ * c. 1800 – ''bestimmt'' comes into use as an adverb “certainly”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1807 – Campe records ''ganz bestimmt''.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|certain|alt=Certain]], particular: known to those concerned but not described more closely: ''Er sucht ein bestimmtes Hemd.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Clearly fixed or defined, [[m|en|precise]]: ''Sie hat eine bestimmte Vorstellung davon.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(grammar)'' [[m|en|definite]]: ''der bestimmte Artikel''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Intended or destined for someone or something: ''Der Brief war für ihre Schwester bestimmt.''^(Wiktionary DE)^(Paul 2002)

+ # [[m|en|firm|alt=Firm]], decided, [[m|en|resolute]]: ''Sie lehnte das Angebot freundlich, aber bestimmt ab.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|certainly|alt=Certainly]], definitely, surely: ''Das Paket kommt bestimmt morgen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Bestimmtheit]]

+ * [[unbestimmt]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bestimmen]]

+ * [[Bestimmung]]

+ * [[Stimme]]

+ * [[stimmen]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}