immerhin German · revision 35493

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=16th century}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [ˈɪmɐˈhɪn]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''immerhin'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|de|immer|hin]]: the adverb meaning “always” joined with the adverb of direction meaning “onward, away”.^(DWB|10, 2074)^(Wiktionary) In the 16th century the parts were still written separately, as in Luther's Bible, and only later were they run together.^(DWB|10, 2074) The first part is [[gmh|iemer]], [[goh|iomēr]], run together from [[m|goh|io|t=ever]] (modern [[je]]) and [[m|goh|mēr|t=more]] (modern [[mehr]]).^(Kluge 2011|439)^(Duden 7 2020|389)

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+ The concessive meaning grew out of the temporal one.^(Wiktionary)^(DWB|10, 2074) The simple adverb was already used in the same way, to grant that at least so much could be admitted.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ At first the phrase was purely temporal, “on and on, further”: Luther's translation of Genesis 8:3 says that the waters receded from the earth ''jmer hin'', and Revelation 22:11 has ''wer böse ist, der sei jmer hin böse'' “he that is unjust, let him be unjust still”.^(DWB|10, 2074) Early New High German also used ''immerhin'' to mean “only, merely”.^(FWB)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 17th century it could be an encouraging cry, “go on! forward!”, as in Logau.^(DWB|10, 2074) From there it came to express permission, letting an action go ahead: Gotter writes ''schlaf immerhin die erste zeit des lebens!'' “sleep on, then, the first part of your life!”^(DWB|10, 2074)

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+ In more recent German it is often used to introduce or to weaken an objection, as in Wieland: ''nenne die tugend immerhin schwärmerei'' “call virtue fanaticism if you will”.^(DWB|10, 2074) Today its main use is to point to something that should be acknowledged in spite of everything, “at least, after all”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 16th century – ''imer hin'', written separately, in Luther and other writers.^(DWB|10, 2074)

+ * 17th century – Used as an encouraging cry by Logau.^(DWB|10, 2074)

+ * 18th century – Concessive use (“go ahead and…”) in Wieland and Gotter.^(DWB|10, 2074)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # At least, in any case (acknowledging something positive): ''Sie hat immerhin den zweiten Platz erreicht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # All the same, [[m|en|nevertheless]], even so: ''Er war dagegen, hat aber immerhin unterschrieben.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # After all (pointing to a circumstance that must be considered): ''Sie ist immerhin deine Schwester.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' With ''mögen'': even if, however much: ''Mag es immerhin regnen, wir gehen trotzdem.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[immer]]

+ * [[hin]]

+ * [[immerzu]]

+ * [[immerfort]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}