versprechen German · revision 35553

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=863–871, Otfrid|origins=gmw-pro *sprekan}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fərˈʃprɛçən/, [fɐˈʃpʁɛ.çn̩], [-çən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''versprechen''' (class 4 strong, third-person singular present verspricht, past tense versprach, past participle versprochen, past subjunctive verspräche, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|versprechen]], [[inh|goh|firsprehhan|t=to deny, reject; to defend]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*frasprekan]], formed with the prefix [[ver-]] from [[sprechen]].^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|871) Like the simple verb it belongs to West Germanic only: the same compound is [[ang|forspecan]], without /r/, [[gml|vorspreken]] and [[dum|verspreken]].^(DWB|25, 1448) Old High German also had [[m|goh|furisprehhan]] “to speak for”, with the prefix [[für]], whose sense partly merged with it.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|25, 1448)

+

+ The simple verb is [[m|goh|sprehhan]], [[gmw-pro|*sprekan|t=to speak]], beside forms without /r/ in [[osx|spekan]] and [[ang|specan]], whence [[en|speak]].^(Kluge 2011|871)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge finds the comparisons outside Germanic too far apart in meaning, and allows at most an expressive word related to [[non|spraka|t=to crackle]].^(Kluge 2011|871) Pfeifer groups it with words for crackling and bursting under [[ine-pro|*(s)p(h)ereg-]], an extension of a root meaning “to jerk, kick”, and leaves the forms with and without /r/ unexplained.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''firsprehhan'' is first found in Otfrid (863–871), meaning “to deny, reject, refuse”, and with a reflexive pronoun “to justify oneself”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|307) Notker has ''furisprechan'' in the sense “to defend”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German and still in Early New High German the verb meant “to speak against, deny, reject”: in Luther's Mark 7:2 the Pharisees ''versprachen'' the disciples who ate with unwashed hands.^(Paul 2002) Until the 18th century it also meant “to blame, slander”, and Stieler in 1691 records ''eine Buchse versprechen'' “to bewitch a gun”.^(Paul 2002) The reflexive “to make a slip of the tongue” is already Middle High German, used by Wolfram;^(Paul 2002) Freud later wrote about such slips.^(Paul 2002) The sense “to vouch for, defend someone” lived on in south-western German, as in Gotthelf.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The main modern sense, “to commit oneself to do something for another”, is defined by Adelung and used by Lessing, Schiller and Kant (1786).^(Paul 2002) Promising someone a thing, with the accusative, is found from Luther on.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Versprechen]] came into use in the 16th century and replaced ''Versprechnis'' and ''Verspruch''; [[Versprechungen]] now serves as its plural.^(DWB|25, 1481)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 863–871 – Otfrid uses Old High German ''firsprehhan'' “to deny, reject”.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * Early 11th century – Notker uses ''furisprechan'' “to defend”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 16th century – The noun ''Versprechen'' comes into use.^(DWB|25, 1481)

+ * 1691 – Stieler records ''versprechen'' “to bewitch”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1786 – Kant discusses the promise made with no intention of keeping it in the ''Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To make a [[m|en|slip of the tongue]], to say something other than one meant: ''Der Sprecher war müde und versprach sich zweimal.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|promise]], to undertake to do something: ''Er hat versprochen, morgen anzurufen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To promise to give something: ''Sie versprach ihm ihre Hilfe.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(dated)'' To [[m|en|betroth]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # With ''zu'' and an infinitive: to give reason to expect: ''Der Abend verspricht lustig zu werden.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # To lead one to expect: ''Die dunklen Wolken versprachen nichts Gutes.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(reflexive, with dative)'' To [[m|en|expect]] or hope for something from: ''Was versprichst du dir von dem Treffen?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Versprechen]]

+ * [[Versprechung]]

+ * [[Versprecher]]

+ * [[vielversprechend]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sprechen]]

+ * [[Sprache]]

+ * [[Spruch]]

+ * [[en|speak]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Hoch und heilig versprechen'' is “to promise solemnly”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The adjective [[vielversprechend]] “promising” comes from the sense “to give reason to expect”.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}