selten German · revision 35475

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈzɛltən/, [ˈzɛltən], [ˈzɛltn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''selten''' (strong nominative masculine singular seltener or (uncommon) seltner, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sëlten]], [[inh|goh|seltan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*seldanā]], [[inh|gem-pro|*seldanē|t=seldom]], formed from a stem [[gem-pro|*seldaz|alt=*selda-|t=rare]] with an adverbial ending.^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same adverb is [[ang|seldan]] (whence [[en|seldom]]), [[non|sjaldan]], [[ofs|sielden]], [[nl|zelden]] and [[sv|sällan]].^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|7, 1092) The stem without the ending survives in the first part of [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃|tr=sildaleiks|t=wonderful, astonishing]], [[osx|seldlīk]] and [[ang|seldlīc]], literally “of rare shape”, and in German [[seltsam]].^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Duden 7 2020|774)^(EWA|7, 1092) The final consonant of the English word was taken over from adverbs that were dative plurals.^(EWA|7, 1092)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Duden 7 2020|774)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Pfeifer suggests a starting sense “by itself, standing alone” and a link with the pronoun stem [[ine-pro|*se-]] of [[sich]],^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) while the Grimms' dictionary reports a comparison with [[got|𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽|tr=anasilan|t=to grow still]] and [[la|sileō|t=to be silent]].^(DWB|16, 542)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''seltan'' appears in glosses from the last quarter of the 8th century, meaning “seldom” and rendering Latin ''rarus'' and ''pretiosus''.^(EWA|7, 1092)^(Köbler AHD)^(AWB|8, 441) The adverb is better attested than the adjective, which grew out of it;^(AWB|8, 441)^(EWA|7, 1092)^(Schützeichel 2012|276) Notker uses the comparative ''seltenôr''.^(AWB|8, 441)^(EWA|7, 1092)^(Schützeichel 2012|276)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German ''sëlten'' was an adverb, often used as a [[m|en|euphemism]] for “never”.^(Lexer 1872|2, 872)^(Pfeifer 1993) Its use as an adjective began in the 15th century, and Paul cites ''ein seltener Gast'' “a rare guest” and ''seltene Bücher'' from the 17th and 18th centuries.^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From the meaning “not frequent” the adjective developed the senses “exceptional, excellent” and “strange, odd” at the beginning of the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|774) Paul notes that the praising sense then returned to the adverb as an intensifier before adjectives, as in Goethe's ''der selten ruhig-schöne Abend'' (1828).^(Paul 2002) The abstract noun [[Seltenheit]] dates from the late 15th century; around 1500 it was often used in litotes, ''keine Seltenheit'' meaning “frequent”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''seltan'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|7, 1092)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 1000 – Notker uses the adverb and its comparative.^(AWB|8, 441)

+ * 15th century – ''selten'' begins to be used as an adjective.^(Kluge 2011|842)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Late 15th century – The noun ''Seltenheit'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 18th century – The adjective takes on the senses “excellent” and “strange”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1828 – Goethe uses ''selten'' as an intensifier: ''der selten ruhig-schöne Abend''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|rare]], infrequent: found or happening only occasionally or in small numbers: ''eine seltene Orchidee''; as an adverb, [[m|en|seldom]]: ''Wir fahren nur noch selten ans Meer.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Unusual, [[m|en|exceptional]]: ''eine seltene Begabung'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''ein seltener Vogel'' (colloquial) is an odd person.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(chemistry, dated)'' ''Seltene Erden'': the oxides of the [[m|en|rare-earth element|alt=rare-earth metals]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(intensifying, before adjectives)'' Unusually, particularly: ''ein selten günstiger Moment''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Seltenheit]]

+ * [[seltsam]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|seldom]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}