unter German · revision 35587

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʊntɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''unter'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|under]], [[inh|goh|untar]], [[inh|gem-pro|*under|t=under, among]].^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂|tr=undar]], [[non|undir]], [[ang|under]], [[ofs|under]] and [[osx|undar]], and also [[nl|onder]], [[en|under]] and [[sv|under]].^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ In Germanic two prepositions of different origin fell together, so that the word means both “below” and “among”.^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Paul 2002) The sense “below” continues [[ine-pro|*n̥dʰer|t=under]], also in [[sa|अधस्|tr=adhás|t=below]] and [[la|īnfrā|t=below]].^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|889) The sense “between” continues [[m|ine-pro|*n̥ter|t=inside, between]], a form with a comparative suffix from the root of [[in]], also in [[m|la|inter|t=between]], [[sga|eter|t=between]] and [[grc|ἔντερα|tr=éntera|t=entrails]].^(Kluge 2011|943)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Wiktionary explains the merger by Verner's law, which made their pre-Germanic forms alike.^(Wiktionary) The second word survives in Gothic and Old Norse only in the name of a meal between morning and noon, [[m|got|𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃|tr=undaurnimats]] and [[m|non|undorn]], beside [[goh|untarn|t=midday meal]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|24, 1452)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''untar'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765 and in the ''Hildebrandslied'', meaning “under, below” and “between, among”, and also “during” in phrases such as ''untar thiu'' “meanwhile”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|359)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “between two things” was largely taken over by [[zwischen]]: Luther could still write that there is no difference ''unter ihm und einem Knechte'' “between him and a servant”, and Lessing, Schiller and Gellert use the same construction.^(Paul 2002) The old meaning survives in ''unter uns'' “between ourselves” and ''unter vier Augen'' “in private”, while ''unter'' “among, in the midst of” remains common: ''unter die Leute bringen'', ''unter anderem''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From the sense “below” came ranking (''unter jemandem arbeiten''), falling short of a limit (''unter null'', ''Kinder unter 14 Jahren''), accompanying circumstances (''unter Tränen'') and states (''unter Druck'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) The word forms many verbs, some of them Old High German, such as [[unterbrechen]] (10th century) and [[unterbinden]] (9th century), and nouns such as [[Unterseeboot]] (19th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|889) The adjective [[unterer]] (Old High German ''untaro'', about 1000) was formed from the preposition, and the playing card [[Unter]] (about 1500) is properly “the lower one”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|889)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 8th century – ''untar'' as a preposition “in, under, between”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1000 – The adjective ''untaro'' “lower” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1500 – ''Unter'' is first used as the name of a playing card.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 19th century – ''Unterseeboot'' “submarine” is formed.^(Duden 7 2020|889)

+ * Early 20th century – ''unterernährt'' “undernourished”, probably after English ''underfed''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Under, [[m|en|below]], beneath: in a lower position than something (with the dative) or into such a position (with the accusative): ''unter der Brücke stehen'', ''sich unter den Schirm stellen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Covered by, directly underneath: ''unter einer Decke liegen'', ''eine Bluse unter dem Mantel''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Below a value, rank or limit: ''unter dem Durchschnitt'', ''unter null''; as an adverb with numbers, “less than”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ # [[m|en|among]], in the midst of: ''unter Freunden'', ''unter anderem'' “among other things”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Subordinate to, under the leadership of: ''unter einem neuen Trainer spielen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ # With, accompanied by, under a condition or state: ''unter Tränen'', ''unter Druck stehen'', ''unter der Bedingung, dass …''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(rare, regional)'' During: ''unter der Woche'' “during the week”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[unter-]]

+ * [[unterer]]

+ * [[Unter]]

+ * [[unterbrechen]]

+ * [[unterbinden]]

+ * [[Unterseeboot]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[unten]]

+ * [[zwischen]]

+ * [[en|under]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}