hart German · revision 35530

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /hart/, [haʁt], [haɐ̯t]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''hart''' (strong nominative masculine singular harter, comparative härter, superlative am härtesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|hart]], [[inh|goh|hart|t=hard, firm, strict, harsh]], [[inh|gem-pro|*harduz|t=hard]].^(Kluge 2011|396)^(EWA)^(Wiktionary) Beside it stood Old High German [[m|goh|herti]] and Middle High German [[m|gmh|herte]]; the EWA explains the alternation by the adjective's old stem in /u/.^(EWA)^(Kluge 2011|396) The form with /a/ was northern and Central German, supported by the adverb [[m|gmh|harte]], [[m|goh|harto]], while the form with /e/ was usual in Bavarian, Alemannic and South Franconian sources and lasted there into the 17th century.^(Duden 7 2020)^(EWA)^(DWB|10, 498)

+

+ The same word is [[got|𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃|tr=hardus]], [[non|harðr]], [[ang|heard]] and [[osx|hard]], continued in [[nl|hard]], [[en|hard]] and [[sv|hård]].^(Kluge 2011|396)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Its further origin is uncertain.^(Kluge 2011|396) Pfeifer and Duden derive it from a root *kar- “hard”, extended as *kartu-, and compare [[grc|κρατύς|tr=kratús|t=strong, mighty]] and [[m|grc|κράτος|tr=krátos|t=strength, power]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Kluge calls this link tempting in form but notes that the vowel and the meaning differ, and that the adjectival use seems secondary; he also cites words of the same shape with other meanings, such as [[lt|kartus|alt=kartùs|t=bitter]], and leaves the question open.^(Kluge 2011|396) Orel joins it to the Lithuanian word and to [[sla-pro|*kortъkъ|t=short]],^(Orel 2003) and Kroonen, according to Wiktionary, prefers a root meaning “to cut”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''hart'' is first recorded in glosses of 765 and in the Tatian;^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|150) ''herti'' appears in the Benedictine Rule, the Georgslied, Otfrid, Notker and Williram.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|150) The EWA gives the senses “hard, firm, strict, oppressive, hard to bear, difficult, harsh, rough, strong, violent”.^(EWA)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul notes that the present senses were already developed in Old and Middle High German.^(Paul 2002) Besides the physical sense, the opposite of ''weich'', the word was applied to hearing (a harsh tone, a hard pronunciation), to painting with abrupt contrasts (Winckelmann) and to water by analogy with the feel.^(Paul 2002) Luther calls work, struggle, life and illness ''hart'' in the sense “hard to bear”.^(Paul 2002) What resists outside influence is also ''hart'': ''harte Währung'' “hard currency”, and ''harter Kern'' probably after English ''hard core''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From Germanic times the adjective, in the sense “strong, bold”, was frequent in personal names: [[Bernhard]], [[Eberhard]], [[Gerhard]], [[Richard]], [[Hartmut]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Derivatives are ''Härte'', Old High German ''hertī'' (9th century), ''härten'', Old High German ''herten'', and ''hartnäckig'' (15th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Polish, Ukrainian and Russian borrowed ''hart'', ''гарт'' (from ''Härte'') for the hardness of metal or a person's toughness.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''hart'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – ''hertī'' “hardness” and ''herten'' “to harden”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''hartnäckig'' “stubborn”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 1564 – Polish borrows ''hart''.^(LWP)

+ * 1635 – Ukrainian ''гарт'' “hardness of metal”.^(LWP)

+ * 17th century – Southern writers still use ''herte'';^(DWB|10, 498)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''abhärten'' “to toughen”.^(DWB|10, 498)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1790 – Russian ''гарт''.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|hard]], firm, not soft or elastic: ''ein harter Stuhl''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of money: stable, ''hard'': ''eine harte Währung''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Of water: containing much [[m|en|lime]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Tough, hardened, robust.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Hard, toilsome, hard to bear.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Without pity, [[m|en|harsh]], severe; of features, stern, sharp.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Marked by sharp contours and contrasts.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Strong, intense; violent: ''ein harter Winter''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Hard, with force or effort: ''hart arbeiten''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # With a preposition: very close: ''hart an der Grenze''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[härten]]

+ * [[Härte]]

+ * [[abhärten]]

+ * [[verhärten]]

+ * [[hartnäckig]]

+ * [[Hartung]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Hardware]]

+ * [[Harsch]]

+ * [[en|hard]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Hart im Nehmen sein'' is to take setbacks and criticism without losing one's composure.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The obsolete name ''Hartung'' for January belongs to this word.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}