sonst German · revision 35517

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century|origins=gmw-pro *sus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zɔnst/, /zɔns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sonst'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sunst]], older [[m|gmh|sus]], [[inh|goh|sus|t=so, thus]], and first meant “so”.^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|sus]], continued in [[nl|zus]].^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|8, 1452) Beside it stand forms with a different initial: [[m|osx|thus]], [[ang|þus]] and [[ofs|thus]], continued in [[en|thus]] and [[nl|dus]].^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Its origin is unclear, though the pronoun stems of [[so]] and [[m|de|der]] certainly took part in it.^(Kluge 2011|858) Pfeifer and Paul take it from the demonstrative stem [[ine-pro|*to-]], with the initial altered under the influence of that adverb;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) the Grimms' dictionary, following Sievers, calls it a German remodelling of [[gmw-pro|*þus]].^(DWB|16, 1730) The EWA sees in it a combination of the pronoun stems.^(EWA|8, 1452)

+

+ The final /t/ was added later ([[m|gmh|sust]], until the 16th century), and the /n/ is an irregular nasalization from the 14th century, as in [[seit]]; the /u/ became /o/ before the nasal from the 16th century.^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Pfeifer 1993) Duden and Wahrig explain the modern form instead as a contraction of the phrase [[m|gmh|sō ne ist|t=if it is not so]], influenced by the older adverb; the Central German form with /o/ spread through Luther's Bible.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sus'' is recorded from the 8th century, in glosses and in the Hildebrandslied, Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “so, in this way, as follows”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|323)^(EWA|8, 1452)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old and Middle High German ''sus'' meant “so, to such a degree, in such a way”, and survived until the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Lexer 1872|2, 1327) The present meaning developed from Middle High German on, by way of “but so, but now, if not” after conditions, requests and wishes.^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge places the change in elliptical threats: “do A, so (as things stand) I do B” was understood as “do A, otherwise I do B”.^(Kluge 2011|858) The old sense lasted longest in the pairing with ''so'': Luther writes ''so und sonst'' for “this and that, thus and thus”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From “in the other case” came the temporal sense “at other times, usually”, a dated “formerly”, and, closely tied to a noun or pronoun, “besides, else”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The extended form ''sonsten'' is recorded from the 15th century and was very common in the 17th and 18th, and ''ansonsten'' spread from the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002) The colloquial retort ''sonst geht's dir gut?'' (“you must be mad!”) is recorded in Berlin in 1897.^(Paul 2002) [[umsonst|alt=Umsonst]] comes from Middle High German ''umbe sus'', “for a so”, that is, for nothing.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''sus'' “so” is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 14th century – The nasalized form ''sunst'' appears.^(Kluge 2011|858)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''sus'' “so” goes out of use;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) ''sonsten'' is first recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 16th century – The spelling with ''o'', ''sonst'', becomes established.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''ansonsten'' and the adjective ''sonstig'' spread.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1897 – The retort ''sonst geht's dir gut?'' is recorded in Berlin.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # At other times, usually, normally: ''Er kommt sonst immer pünktlich.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(dated)'' Formerly, once.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Besides, [[m|en|else]], apart from what is mentioned: ''Wer war sonst noch dort?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|otherwise]], or else: ''Beeil dich, sonst verpasst du den Zug.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sonstig]]

+ * [[umsonst]]

+ * [[ansonsten]]

+ * [[sonstwie]]

+ * [[sonstwo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[so]]

+ * [[en|thus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Sonst noch was?'' and ''Sonst geht's dir gut?'' are slangy retorts expressing indignant refusal.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) With indefinite words it marks something unspecified or special: ''sonst wer'' “anybody at all” or “somebody important”, ''sonst wo'' “somewhere else entirely”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}