belegen German · revision 35571

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *legʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈleːɡən/, [-ɡŋ̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''belegen''' (third-person singular present belegt, past tense belegte, past participle belegt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|belegen]], [[inh|goh|bileggen|t=to cover, surround]], formed [[af|goh|bi-|leggen|t2=to lay]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD) The base verb is the causative of [[m|goh|liggen|t=to lie]] (modern [[legen]] and [[liegen]]).^(Pfeifer 1993) The same formation is [[osx|bileggian]], [[gml|beleggen]], [[dum|beleggen]], [[ofs|bilegga]] and [[ang|belecgan]], and the English cognate is [[m|en|belay]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Kluge traces the senses from “to put on something” to figurative uses such as confirming something by oath, and then to the main modern sense “to prove”, with the noun [[Beleg]].^(Kluge 2011|108) He suggests that [[beilegen]] and [[Beilage]], the enclosing of evidence, may have helped shape this meaning.^(Kluge 2011|108)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bileggen'' appears in glosses from 765, meaning “to cover, overlay, fit with, stuff”.^(Köbler AHD) An 8th-century gloss renders Latin ''ferrata carpenta'' with ''isarne pilegita uuagana'' “carts covered with iron”.^(DWB2|4, 927)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Pfeifer explains that the verb first described covering or clothing something for decoration or protection.^(Pfeifer 1993) Middle High German and Middle Low German added “to occupy, besiege” and “to prove by testimony”, and Middle Low German and Early New High German “to mate with” (still said of animals).^(Pfeifer 1993) Luther's Bible often has ''belegen'' “to besiege”, literally “to lay troops around a town”, and the modern euphemism ''mit Bomben belegen'' “to bomb” continues it.^(Paul 2002) The older legal language used it for imposing a charge and for investing money.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(FWB)

+

+ In 16th-century mining a mine was ''belegt'' when it was staffed with workers, which gave rise to [[Belegschaft]] in the first half of the 19th century, first the miners of a pit and now the whole staff of a firm.^(Pfeifer 1993) The sense “to prove by written evidence” is recorded from the 17th century, with ''Beleg'' “proof, piece of evidence” from 1711 and the older synonym ''Belag'' from 1673.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1060–1080 – Middle High German ''belegen'' is used in the Vienna Genesis.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|4, 927)

+ * 16th century – Mining use: to staff a mine with workers.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The sense “to prove by written evidence” appears.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1673 – ''Belag'' is recorded in the sense “proof”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1711 – ''Beleg'' is first recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * First half of the 19th century – ''Belegschaft'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cover]] something with something, put a layer or topping on it: ''die Terrasse mit Steinplatten belegen'', ''ein Brot mit Käse belegen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(military)'' To [[m|en|bombard]]: ''eine Brücke mit Artillerie belegen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|reserve]] a place, to enrol for a course: ''Sie hat einen Spanischkurs belegt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' To take a place in a ranking: ''Die Läuferin belegte den dritten Platz.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To occupy, fill (rooms, beds): ''Das Krankenhaus ist voll belegt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To impose something on someone: ''jemanden mit einer Geldstrafe belegen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|document]], prove with evidence: ''Er konnte seine Ausgaben mit Quittungen belegen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a male animal: to [[m|en|mate]] with a female.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Belag]]

+ * [[Beleg]]

+ * [[Belegschaft]]

+ * [[Belegung]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[legen]]

+ * [[liegen]]

+ * [[beilegen]]

+ * [[en|belay]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A separate participle ''belegen'' “situated”, from the strong verb ''beliegen'', was used by Klopstock and Kant (''ein an der Gasse belegenes Haus''); the Grimms note that ''gelegen'' was already preferred.^(DWB|1, 1442) A ''belegte Stimme'' is a husky voice.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}