erleben German · revision 35527

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=first half of the 13th century, Wolfdietrich B|origins=gem-pro *libjaną}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʔɛɐ̯ˈleːbm̩/, /ʔɛɐ̯ˈleːbən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''erleben''' (third-person singular present erlebt, past tense erlebte, past participle erlebt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|erleben|t=to live through, survive, experience]], [[af|de|er-|leben]].^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|8, 1932)^(Wiktionary)

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+ The base verb [[leben]] is [[goh|lebēn]], from a Germanic verb also found in [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=liban]], [[non|lifa]] and [[ang|libban]].^(Kluge 2011|565) Kluge takes it as a durative formed to the strong verb behind [[bleiben]], so that its first sense was “to remain, continue”.^(Kluge 2011|565)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ Older German used the prefix [[ge-]] in the same function: Otfrid has [[goh|gilebēn|t=to live to see]], and Middle High German [[m|gmh|gelëben]] is found in Hartmann von Aue and Wolfram von Eschenbach.^(DWB|3, 894)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle High German ''erleben'' is recorded from the first half of the 13th century, in ''Wolfdietrich B'', with the senses “to survive, come through alive, experience, be alive”.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|8, 1932) In ''Wolfdietrich'' it is used of surviving a deed: ''wie getorstet irz erleben daz ir mir stâlt mîn wîp?'' (“how did you dare to live after stealing my wife?”).^(DWB2|8, 1932)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Early uses are mostly legal: to survive someone, to outlive a person's death, as in a Frankfurt chronicle of 1478 and the Zimmern chronicle of 1566.^(DWB2|8, 1932) Until the 17th century the main use was “to be still alive at a certain time or event”, as in Luther's “Would it were evening!” (''das ich den abend erleben möchte'', Deuteronomy 28:67).^(DWB2|8, 1932)^(Paul 2002) Pfeifer dates the senses “to live until a certain time” and “to experience, be affected by” to the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) Luther also has the sense “to experience” (Sirach 30:1, ''das er hernach freude an jm erlebe'' “that he may later have joy of him”), which became the main sense in modern German.^(Paul 2002)

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+ The noun ''Erleben'' is recorded by Campe in 1807.^(Paul 2002) The literary term ''erlebte Rede'' “free indirect speech” (Lorck 1921, Walzel 1924) translates French ''style indirect libre'' (Bally 1912).^(Paul 2002) With a thing as subject, a book can “experience” nine editions.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * First half of the 13th century – ''erleben'' in ''Wolfdietrich B''.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|8, 1932)

+ * 1478 – A Frankfurt chronicle uses it for outliving someone.^(DWB2|8, 1932)

+ * 15th century – Senses “to live until” and “to experience”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1807 – Campe records the noun ''Erleben''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1921 – ''erlebte Rede'' as a literary term.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|experience]], go through; to be affected by: ''eine Überraschung erleben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To take in, see for oneself: ''ein Pokalfinale im Stadion erleben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To meet with (as a result of one's actions); of a book, to go through (editions): ''einen Aufschwung erleben''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive, formal)'' To perceive oneself as something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To live to see, [[m|en|witness]]: ''Er hat seinen achtzigsten Geburtstag nicht mehr erlebt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Erlebnis]]

+ * [[Erleben]]

+ * [[erlebnisreich]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[leben]]

+ * [[überleben]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Du kannst was erleben!'' (colloquial) is a threat, and ''Hat man so was schon erlebt!'' an exclamation of surprise and indignation.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}