rein German · revision 35602

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Old High German Benedictine Rule|origins=ine-pro *krey-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʁaɪn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''rein''' (strong nominative masculine singular reiner, comparative reiner, superlative am reinsten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|reine]], [[inh|goh|reini]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*hrainī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*hrainiz|t=clean, pure]].^(Kluge 2011|756)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same adjective is [[got|𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=hrains]], [[non|hreinn]], [[osx|hrēni]] and [[ofs|hrēne]], continued in [[nl|rein]] and [[sv|ren]].^(Kluge 2011|756)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) It is missing in Old English, where [[m|ang|clǣne]] (English [[m|en|clean]]) took over its meaning.^(DWB|14, 680)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Its original sense was “sifted, cleaned”.^(Kluge 2011|756)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2014|689) It belongs to [[ine-pro|*krey-|t=to separate, sift]], found in [[grc|κρίνω|tr=krī́nō|t=to separate, decide]] and [[la|cernō|t=to sift, distinguish]].^(Kluge 2011|756)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Related above all are the words for “sieve”: [[m|la|crībrum]], [[sga|críathar]], and the regional German [[Reiter]] (Old High German [[m|goh|rītara]]), with [[ang|hriddel]].^(Kluge 2011|756)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|689) Pfeifer and the Duden take this root as a form of [[ine-pro|*(s)ker-|t=to cut]], the root of [[scheren]], and the Duden calls the adjective an old participle.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|689) Kroonen explains it as an adjective, perhaps with lengthened grade, formed to a nasal present that Germanic has not kept, the type of the Latin and Greek verbs.^(Kroonen 2013) Swiss dialects keep an old sense “fine”, of flour, sugar or sand, as does Rhenish Franconian.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary also notes another explanation, from [[m|ine-pro|*ḱreyH-|t=to show oneself, noble]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''reini'' is recorded from the Benedictine Rule of the last quarter of the 8th century, and then in the Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|7, 344)^(Schützeichel 2012|257) It meant “clean, pure, clear, chaste, spotless, holy, innocent”, and also “fine” of flour: ''reinaz melo'' glosses Latin ''simila'' “fine wheat flour”.^(EWA|7, 344)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul distinguishes two main senses.^(Paul 2002) The first, “free of dirt”, the opposite of “soiled”, was originally not usual in Upper German, which said [[sauber]]; in the Bible ''rein'' is also “free of skin disease” and of animals “fit for sacrifice”, and more widely “virgin, free of sin”.^(Paul 2002) The second is “unmixed”: pure gold, wine or wool, a pure colour or pronunciation, Kant's ''reine Vernunft'' “pure reason”, and ''reine Mathematik'' (1764) as opposed to applied mathematics.^(Paul 2002) As an adverb it came to mean “merely” and “downright” (''rein unmöglich'', Schiller), and ''reinweg'' “downright” came from Low German about 1900.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ [[Reinheit]] (1620) replaced older ''Reinigkeit'', and [[reinigen]] replaced older ''reinen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2014|689) In ''Reingewinn'' (1876) ''rein'' renders [[netto]], and ''Reinkultur'' (about 1880) was first a pure culture of bacteria, then anything typical in its purest form.^(Paul 2002) Czech borrowed ''rajn'' “purely, quite”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''reini'' appears in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1620 – First record of ''Reineheit'' “purity”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1764 – ''Reine Mathematik'' is set against applied mathematics.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1876 – ''Reingewinn'' “net profit” is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1880 – ''Reinkultur'' “pure culture” appears.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1900 – ''Reinweg'' comes into general use from Low German.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|pure|alt=Pure]], unmixed, without anything added or foreign: ''reines Olivenöl''; of language, free of errors or accent: ''Er spricht ein reines Französisch.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Nothing but, [[m|en|mere]]: ''Das war reine Neugier.''^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # Consisting entirely of what is named, without exception: ''eine reine Wohngegend''.^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # ''(colloquial, intensifying)'' Utter, sheer, or so like the thing named that it could be taken for it: ''Das ist ja das reinste Chaos!''^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # Spotlessly [[m|en|clean]]: ''ein reines Handtuch'';^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary DE) ''ein reines Gewissen'' “a clear conscience”.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(Judaism)'' [[m|en|kosher|alt=Kosher]].^(Duden Universal 2007)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Purely, exclusively: ''aus rein beruflichen Gründen''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Gives emphasis to a reason or respect: ''Das schaffe ich rein zeitlich nicht.''^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Completely, utterly: ''rein gar nichts''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Reinheit]]

+ * [[reinlich]]

+ * [[reinigen]]

+ * [[Reinigung]]

+ * [[unrein]]

+ * [[Reingewinn]]

+ * [[Reinkultur]]

+ * [[reinweg]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[scheren]]

+ * [[goh|reini]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases are ''etwas ins Reine schreiben'' “to make a fair copy”, ''etwas ins Reine bringen'' “to clear something up”, ''mit jemandem ins Reine kommen'' “to settle one's differences with someone” and ''mit sich im Reinen sein'' “to be at peace with oneself”.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002) A separate colloquial adverb ''rein'' is a shortening of [[herein]] or [[hinein]] “in”, via ''erein'', and was already used by Luther and Hans Sachs; northern German also says ''rin''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|14, 679)^(Wiktionary) The field boundary [[Rain]] was spelt ''rein'' until the spelling with ''ai'' won through in the 18th century to keep it apart from the adjective.^(EWA|7, 337)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}