Position German · revision 35548

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1536|origins=la pōnō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Germany: /poziˈt͡si̯oːn/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria: /posiˈt͡si̯oːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Position''' ''f'' (genitive Position, plural Positionen)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|positiō|t=a placing; position]], borrowed in the 16th century, the noun of action of [[m|la|pōnō|t=to put, place, lay]], past participle [[m|la|positus]].^(Kluge 2011|716)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB) Duden and the DFWB think that [[fr|position]] influenced the borrowing, which the DFWB holds probable above all for the technical uses of the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2014|648)^(DFWB) Many other German words go back to the same Latin verb, among them [[Posten]], [[positiv]], [[Präposition]] and [[komponieren]].^(Duden 7 2014|648)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The DFWB's first record is from 1536, in documents from Tübingen.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002) The early uses belong to law, administration and philosophy: a “positing, statement”, and in legal procedure a point of a complaint, often paired with ''Artikel''.^(DFWB)^(FWB) Latin forms are found in technical use until the 18th century.^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 16th century the word was also adapted as ''positz'' “a position, a positing”, with Fischart's diminutive ''positzlin''.^(DWB|13, 2012) In philosophy and grammar it was the opposite of ''Negation''.^(DWB|13, 2012)^(Paul 2002) Paul dates the military sense, ''Position der Armee'', to 1772, and the commercial sense “item” to 1853; seamen's language had ''Positionslaterne'' “navigation light” by 1899.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The sense “rank, post” is recorded from 1877, and in 1891 a high military post could be called a “brilliant” position.^(Paul 2002) Sport has used it for a placing in a race since 1929, and the most recent sense, “opinion, stance”, appears in ''Position beziehen'' “to take a stand”.^(Paul 2002) Pfeifer stresses how widespread the word is in philosophy, the army, fencing, navigation, commerce, astronomy and sport.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1536 – First record, in documents from Tübingen.^(DFWB)

+ * 1772 – ''Position der Armee'': the military sense appears.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1853 – The commercial sense “item” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1877 – The sense “rank, post” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1899 – ''Positionslaterne'' is recorded in seamen's language.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1929 – The sporting sense “placing” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A (senior) professional post: ''eine leitende Position''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # A place within an institution, a system or a ranking; in sport, a placing: ''auf Position drei liegen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # The situation someone is in, especially relative to others: ''eine starke Position''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # A [[m|en|standpoint]], attitude: ''eine klare Position vertreten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A spatial [[m|en|position]] or [[m|en|posture]]; the location of a ship or aircraft.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(economics)'' An item in a list, plan or invoice (abbreviated ''Pos.'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' A positing, that which is posited.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(prosody)'' Length of a short vowel before two or more consonants.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|13, 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[positionell]]

+ * [[Positionslaterne]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Posten]]

+ * [[positiv]]

+ * [[Präposition]]

+ * [[en|position]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}