Wettbewerb German · revision 35629

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=19th century}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvɛtbəˌvɛʁp/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Wettbewerb''' ''m'' (genitive Wettbewerbes or Wettbewerbs, plural Wettbewerbe)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a compound [[af|de|Wette|bewerben|t1=bet, wager|t2=to compete for]], formed in the 19th century as a German replacement for [[Konkurrenz]], after [[fr|concurrence]].^(DWB|29, 663)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|931)^(Pfeifer 1993) Older formations of the same kind are the verbs [[m|de|wettwerben]] and [[m|de|mitbewerben]].^(DWB|29, 663)

+

+ The first part is [[gmh|wette]], [[goh|wetti|t=pledge]], [[gem-pro|*wadją|t=pledge, surety]], also found in [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌳𐌹|tr=wadi|t=pledge]], [[non|veð]] and [[ang|wedd]].^(Kluge 2011|984)^(Kroonen 2013) Outside Germanic it matches [[la|vas|t=surety, bail]] and [[lt|vadúoti|t=to redeem a pledge]].^(Kluge 2011|984)^(Pfeifer 1993) The word first meant a pledge or stake and then a wager, and as the first part of compounds such as [[Wettlauf]], [[Wettkampf]] and [[Wettstreit]] it came to mean a contest.^(Kluge 2011|984)^(Duden 7 2020|931) The second part belongs to the verb “to compete for”, from [[werben]], whose oldest sense was “to turn, move about”.^(Kluge 2011|982)^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Grimms' dictionary records ''Wettbewerb'' as a new word of the 19th century for [[m|en|competition]], which spread quickly in public life as a catchword of liberal economic and social theory, especially in ''freier Wettbewerb'' “free competition”.^(DWB|29, 663) Its earliest quotations come from Bismarck, of the rivalry between Prussia, Austria and the middle states for public opinion, and in Gustav Freytag, of free competition in trade.^(DWB|29, 663)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the late 19th century ''freier Wettbewerb'' was a slogan of liberal economic life, quoted from Fontane, and after 1945 it became a mark of the [[Marktwirtschaft]].^(Paul 2002) In the newest language, the Grimms' dictionary notes, the word spread to other fields and often took the place of ''Wetteifer'', ''Wettkampf'' and ''Wettstreit'', and Paul names art and architecture, where a ''Wettbewerb'' is a contest for the best design.^(DWB|29, 663)^(Paul 2002) The legal term ''unlauterer Wettbewerb'' “unfair competition” names business methods that the courts do not allow.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|29, 663)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 19th century – ''Wettbewerb'' is formed as a German word for ''Konkurrenz''.^(DWB|29, 663)^(Duden 7 2020|931)

+ * 1886 – Gustav Freytag writes that no human activity needs free competition as much as trade.^(DWB|29, 663)

+ * Late 19th century – ''freier Wettbewerb'' becomes a catchword of liberal economics.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1898 – A Leipzig newspaper speaks of ''unlauterer Wettbewerb''.^(DWB|29, 663)

+ * After 1945 – The word becomes a mark of the market economy.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|competition]] or [[m|en|contest]] in which several people try to give the best performance and win, with a set task: ''Der Chor gewann einen Wettbewerb in Wien.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(economics)'' Competition between businesses for market share and profit; [[Konkurrenz]]: ''Zwischen den Fluggesellschaften herrscht scharfer Wettbewerb.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Wettbewerber]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Wette]]

+ * [[bewerben]]

+ * [[werben]]

+ * [[Konkurrenz]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}