Bruder German · revision 35560

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=second half of the 8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *bʰréh₂tēr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbruːdɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Bruder''' ''m'' (genitive Bruders, plural Brüder, diminutive Brüderchen n or Brüderlein n)^(Wiktionary)

+ The Middle High German plural was ''bruoder'', and the umlauted ''brüeder'' came later.^(EWA|2, 385)^(Lexer 1872|1, 369)

+ The genitive singular was at first uninflected, ''bruoder'', beside the newer ''bruoders''.^(EWA|2, 385)^(DWB|2, 417)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bruoder]], [[inh|goh|bruoder]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*brōþer]], [[inh|gem-pro|*brōþēr|t=brother]].^(Kluge 2011|155)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌸𐌰𐍂|tr=brōþar]], [[non|bróðir]], [[ang|brōþor]], [[ofs|brōther]] and [[osx|brōðar]], and today [[nl|broeder]], [[en|brother]], [[sv|broder]] and [[is|bróðir]].^(Kluge 2011|155)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|2, 385)

+

+ It continues [[ine-pro|*bʰréh₂tēr|t=brother]], one of the kinship terms found in nearly every Indo-European language: [[sa|भ्रातृ|tr=bhrā́tṛ]], [[grc|φράτηρ|tr=phrā́tēr|t=member of a phratry]], [[la|frāter]], [[sga|bráthair]], [[cu|братръ|tr=bratrŭ]], [[ru|брат|tr=brat]], [[xto|pracar]] and [[lt|brolis|alt=brólis]], a diminutive.^(Kluge 2011|155)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|2, 385)^(DWB2|5, 875) Its further origin is unclear, though it has the suffix *-ter- typical of these terms.^(Kluge 2011|155)^(Paul 2002) Trier proposed a connection with [[ine-pro|*bʰer-|t=to plait, weave]],^(Pfeifer 1993) and Bopp, quoted by the Grimms, had derived it from the root meaning “to carry, support”, the brother being the supporter of mother and younger children.^(DWB|2, 417) Kluge takes the original sense to have been “male blood relative of the same generation within the extended family”.^(Kluge 2011|155)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the gloss ''germanus proder'' of the second half of the 8th century.^(DWB2|5, 875) The ''Ludwigslied'' (881/882) says that Louis shared the realm with ''Karlemanne, bruoder sinemo'' “Carloman, his brother”.^(DWB2|5, 875) Old High German already used it as the address between monks, after Latin ''frater'', and in the transferred sense “intimate, friend, fellow Christian”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|2, 385)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Monks have always called one another brothers, after Latin ''fratres'', so ''Bruder'' before a name marked a monk.^(Paul 2002) From the monasteries the address passed to other fellowships: Freemasons, clergy (''Amtsbruder''), students (''Verbindungsbruder'') and soldiers (''Waffenbruder'').^(Paul 2002) In the 18th century ''Herr Bruder'' was frequent in drinking songs, and the 19th-century labour movement used ''Bruder'' as an address too.^(Paul 2002) The biblical idea that all people are brothers lies behind Schiller's ''Wir wollen sein ein einzig Volk von Brüdern'' in ''Wilhelm Tell'' and the name of the Moravian ''Brüdergemeine''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ In colloquial use the plural became ironic and scornful, “those fellows”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Der große Bruder'' became the name of an all-powerful, watching state after George Orwell's ''Big Brother'' in ''1984''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) [[brüderlich]] (Old High German ''bruoderlīh'', 9th century) and [[Bruderschaft]] (''bruoderscaf'', 9th century) are old, while [[Brüderlichkeit]] spread from the 1770s, with Lavater in 1776, as a rendering of French ''fraternité''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The German student word ''Corpsbruder'' is recorded in English from 1904, and Tok Pisin has ''bruder'' “lay brother”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd half of the 8th century – The gloss ''germanus proder'' is the first record.^(DWB2|5, 875)

+ * 881/882 – The ''Ludwigslied'' uses ''bruoder''.^(DWB2|5, 875)

+ * 9th century – ''bruoderlīh'' “brotherly” and ''bruoderscaf'' “brotherhood” are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1776 – Lavater uses [[Brüderlichkeit]] for French ''fraternité''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – [[Gebrüder]] becomes common in the names of firms.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1904 – ''corpsbruder'' is first recorded in English.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|brother]]: a male person with the same parents as another.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(elevated)'' A fellow human being, someone one feels closely bound to.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A [[m|en|monk]] or [[m|en|friar]], especially one without priestly ordination; also as a title before a name: ''Bruder Thomas''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, derogatory)'' A fellow, a guy, usually of doubtful character: ''ein zwielichtiger Bruder''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[brüderlich]]

+ * [[Brüderlichkeit]]

+ * [[Bruderschaft]]

+ * [[Brüderschaft]]

+ * [[Gebrüder]]

+ * [[verbrüdern]]

+ * [[Halbbruder]]

+ * [[Stiefbruder]]

+ * [[Bruderliebe]]

+ * [[Brudermord]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Frater]]

+ * [[fraternisieren]]

+ * [[en|brother]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Unter Brüdern'' (colloquial, joking) means “honestly, without overcharging”;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793|1, 1215) Adelung already recorded it in a statement of price.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793|1, 1215) ''Bruder Lustig'' and ''Bruder Leichtfuß'' name a carefree, easy-going man.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}