informieren German · revision 35624

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=14th century|origins=la fōrma}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɪnfoʁˈmiːʁən/, [ʔɪnfoʁˈmiːɐ̯n]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''informieren''' (third-person singular present informiert, past tense informierte, past participle informiert, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|īnfōrmō|t=to shape, form; to instruct]], from [[m|la|in-]] and [[m|la|fōrmō|t=to form, shape]], from [[m|la|fōrma|t=form, shape]] (see [[Form]]), borrowed in the 14th century.^(Kluge 2011|444)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|405) German took the Latin verb in its transferred sense “to form by instruction, teach”, and the derivatives used in German follow only this sense.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|405) Wiktionary instead derives it from [[fr|informer]].^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[nl|informeren]] and [[en|inform]], and French has it too.^(Kluge 2011|444)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Late Middle High German ''informieren'' meant to instruct or acquaint someone with something: it occurs in a Middle High German ''Summa theologiae'' (after 1323) and in Tauler's sermons.^(Köbler MHD)^(Pfeifer 1993) Paul gives 1418 for the senses “to shape, form, teach”.^(Paul 2002) Early New High German also used it for shaping or designing something.^(FWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “to give someone news, to notify” is the modern main sense, and Heyse's dictionary of 1853 records the reflexive ''sich informieren'' “to find out, inquire”.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Information]], recorded from 1467 as ''informaci'', meant instruction for a long time and, with the growth of the press, came to mean news and data; the agent noun ''Informator'' (1571) meant a private tutor until the 19th century.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The adjective ''informativ'' dates from the 19th century, and [[Informatik]] was coined by Karl Steinbuch in 1957.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|405)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 14th century – ''informieren'' is borrowed from Latin.^(Kluge 2011|444)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1418 – Recorded in the senses “to shape, teach”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1467 – First record of the noun ''Information'' (''informaci'').^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1571 – First record of ''Informator'', a private tutor.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1853 – Heyse records ''sich informieren'' “to inquire”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1957 – Karl Steinbuch coins ''Informatik''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|inform]], tell someone about something, give someone news or details: ''Der Arzt informierte die Familie über die Operation.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To find out about something, look into it, read up on it: ''Vor der Reise hat er sich im Internet über das Wetter informiert.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Information]]

+ * [[Informator]]

+ * [[informativ]]

+ * [[Informatik]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Informant]]

+ * [[Form]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}