jedenfalls German · revision 35619

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1700}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈjeːdənˈfals/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''jedenfalls'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the phrase [[jeden Falls]] “in every case” run together into one word, [[af|de|jeder|Fall|t1=every|t2=case]], with the genitive ending of the noun used adverbially.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) It belongs to a group of adverbs ending in ⟨-falls⟩ formed in the 17th century, beside [[allenfalls]], [[andernfalls]] and [[gegebenenfalls]], which grew up together with the conjunction [[falls]] “in case”, itself a fixed genitive of [[Fall]] in the sense “possibility, eventuality”.^(Kluge 2011|275)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The first part is the pronoun [[jeder]], from [[gmh|ieweder]], [[goh|ioweder|t=each of two]], a compound of [[m|goh|io|t=ever]] and [[m|goh|wedar|t=which of two]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pfeifer dates the adverb to about 1700, meaning “in any case”, and the Duden Herkunftswörterbuch to the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The Grimms' dictionary refers its formation to the article on ''falls'', which it finds first in the dictionaries of Stieler and Frisch.^(DWB|10, 2284)^(DWB|3, 1289)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Grimms' dictionary describes ''jedenfalls'' as an emphatic “yes” given in answer to a question, and as the word that sets a firm assertion against a preceding concession (“he may have been in need, but in any case he should not have done it”).^(DWB|10, 2284) Modern German also uses it in a weaker, limiting sense, “at least, as far as I am concerned”, often with a pronoun before it (''ich jedenfalls'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 17th century – Adverbs in ''-falls'' such as ''allenfalls'' and ''jedenfalls'' come into use.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1700 – First record of ''jedenfalls'' “in any case”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # In any [[m|en|case]], at all events, whatever else may be true: ''Das Konzert war jedenfalls gut besucht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # At [[m|en|least]], as far as someone is concerned: ''Mein Bruder jedenfalls will nicht mehr warten.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # As a reply: [[m|en|definitely]], certainly: ''Kommst du morgen? – Jedenfalls!''^(Wiktionary)^(DWB|10, 2284)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[jeder]]

+ * [[Fall]]

+ * [[falls]]

+ * [[allenfalls]]

+ * [[andernfalls]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}