bitten German · revision 35532

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbɪtn̩/, /ˈbɪtən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bitten''' (class 5 strong, third-person singular present bittet, past tense bat, past participle gebeten, past subjunctive bäte, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bitten]], [[inh|goh|bitten|t=to ask, beg, pray]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*biddjan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bidjaną|t=to ask, request]].^(Kluge 2011|127)^(EWA)^(Wiktionary) Kluge and Kroonen reconstruct the Germanic strong verb with /e/, as *bedja-.^(Kluge 2011|127)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=bidjan]], [[non|biðja]], [[ang|biddan]], [[ofs|bidda]] and [[osx|biddian]], continued in [[nl|bidden]], [[en|bid]] and [[sv|bedja]].^(Kluge 2011|127)^(Kroonen 2013) The English verb early merged with the descendant of [[m|ang|bēodan|t=to offer, command]].^(EWA)

+

+ Its further origin is disputed.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Kluge holds that the verb matches in every detail, including the rare e-grade of a present with /j/, [[sga|guidid|t=asks, prays]] and an Avestan verb meaning “I ask”, from [[ine-pro|*gʷʰedʰ-|t=to ask, desire]], and regards this as one of the strongest proofs that Indo-European /gʷʰ/ became /b/ at the start of a Germanic word.^(Kluge 2011|127) Kroonen also finds this link, with [[grc|ποθέω|tr=pothéō|t=to desire, long for]], the most attractive, but stresses that it depends on that disputed sound change.^(Kroonen 2013) Pfeifer weighs a root [[ine-pro|*bʰedʰ-|t=to bend, press]], with [[sa|बाधते|tr=bā́dhate|t=presses, forces]], against a connection with [[gmh|beiten|t=to press, compel]] and [[got|𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=baidjan|t=to compel]], from the root of [[m|grc|πείθω|tr=peíthō|t=to persuade]].^(Pfeifer 1993) The Duden dictionaries favour the second, explaining the sense as “to bind someone (by a promise or agreement)”.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bitten'' is first recorded in glosses of 765 and is frequent in the texts: the Benedictine Rule, Isidor, the Freising Paternoster, the Lorsch confession, the Murbach Hymns, Otfrid, Tatian and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|52) It meant “to ask, request, implore” and also “to pray”, with the genitive or accusative of what was asked for.^(Schützeichel 2012|52)^(EWA) The Tatian (800/10) renders John 17:15 as ''ni bittih thaz du sie nemes fon mittil garte'' (“I do not ask that you take them out of the world”).^(DWB2|5, 310)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German it could also mean “to summon (before a court), to wish, to bid, to command”.^(Pfeifer 1993) In Early New High German it partly merged with [[beten]] “to pray”.^(FWB) The verb originally took the accusative of the person and the genitive of the thing; the genitive was replaced by ''um'', or sometimes by an accusative, as in Luther's ''so ihr den Vater etwas bitten werdet in meinem Namen''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From the sense of a request came that of an invitation, ''jemanden zu Gaste bitten'' in Adelung, and the question ''Darf ich bitten?'' when asking someone to dance.^(Paul 2002) The polite formula [[bitte]] and the noun ''Bitte'' belong here.^(Kluge 2011|127) Compounds are ''Bittschrift'' (17th century, for Latin ''supplicatio''), ''Bittsteller'' (18th century, replacing ''Supplikant'') and ''Bittgang'' (19th century, for a procession).^(Duden 7 2020) Hungarian borrowed ''pitizik'' “to beg” (1900).^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 800/10 – The Old High German Tatian uses it in John 17:15.^(DWB2|5, 310)

+ * c. 1060 – Otloh's prayer: ''bito ih daz du mir gilazzast'' (“I pray that you grant me”).^(DWB2|5, 310)

+ * 17th century – ''Bittschrift'' “petition”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 18th century – ''Bittsteller'' “petitioner”.^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 1900 – Hungarian ''pitizik'' “to beg”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|ask]], make a request (for something, with ''um''): ''um Geduld bitten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To ask someone (for something), [[m|en|beg]]: ''Sie bat ihren Bruder um ein Darlehen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(formal)'' To [[m|en|intercede]] (for someone).^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|invite]]: ''die Nachbarn zum Kaffee bitten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To ask someone to come to a particular place.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[verbitten]]

+ * [[bitte]]

+ * [[Bittschrift]]

+ * [[Bittsteller]]

+ * [[abbitten]]

+ * [[ausbitten]]

+ * [[erbitten]]

+ * [[Bitte]]

+ * [[Fürbitte]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[beten]]

+ * [[Gebet]]

+ * [[en|bid]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Bitten und betteln'' is to plead insistently, and ''Ich muss doch sehr bitten!'' is an exclamation of indignant protest.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Ich bitte dich!'' introduces an objection, especially in southern Germany.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}