Antwort German · revision 35645

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈantvɔʁt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Antwort''' ''f'' (genitive Antwort, plural Antworten)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old High German ''antwurti'' was neuter; a feminine of the same form existed beside it, and the feminine prevailed after the Middle High German period.^(Kluge 2011|51)^(DWB2|3, 57) Luther still used the neuter (''ein richtiges antwort''), and the feminine has been the only gender since the end of the 16th century.^(DWB|1, 508)^(DWB2|3, 57)

+ The form ''Antwort'' for older ''antwürte'' arose from association with [[Wort]], beginning in late Middle High German and established in the 15th century.^(Kluge 2011|51)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|antwürte]], [[inh|goh|antwurti]], [[inh|gem-pro|*andawurdiją|t=answer, counter-word]].^(Kluge 2011|51)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) It is a collective formation from the word for [[Wort|alt=word]] with the prefix [[gem-pro|*anda-|t=against]] (as in [[Antlitz]] and [[ent-]]), so that it first meant “counter-speech, rejoinder”.^(Kluge 2011|51)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|124) The same formation is [[got|𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌹|tr=andawaurdi]], [[osx|andwordi]], [[ang|andwyrde]], [[ofs|ondwarde]] and the plural [[non|andyrði]].^(Kluge 2011|51)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|3, 57) Today it lives on only in German and in [[nl|antwoord]];^(Pfeifer 1993) English and the Scandinavian languages chose formations related to [[schwören]] instead, as [[en|answer]] and [[sv|svar]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ Old High German also had [[m|goh|antwart|t=presence]], formed with the same prefix on another base (that of [[Gegenwart]]); in the legal formulas of Middle High German and Middle Low German it fell together in form with the word for “answer”.^(DWB2|3, 56)^(Köbler MHD)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''antwurti'' is recorded from the 8th century, in a gloss on Luke 2:47 (''responsis ejus'' “at his answers”), and then in the Benedictine Rule, the Tatian, Otfrid (863–871), Notker and Williram, about 74 times in all.^(DWB2|3, 57)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|39) It meant “answer”, and also “promise” and “oracle”.^(Schützeichel 2012|39)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word belonged to the language of law from early on: Middle High German ''antwürten'' meant especially to defend oneself or someone else before a court, and the noun also meant the defendant's reply to a charge, a justification, and an account given at the Last Judgement.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(FWB)^(Paul 2002) This sense survives in [[verantworten]] and in ''Rede und Antwort stehen'' “to give an account of oneself”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) In disputation it was also an argument against a previous speaker.^(FWB)^(Paul 2002) Adelung (1793) gives the proverbs ''wie die Frage, so die Antwort'' and ''keine Antwort ist auch eine Antwort'', and the figurative use for anything that takes the place of an answer, such as a bitter laugh.^(Adelung 1793|1, 397) After French ''répondre'', Leibniz, Wieland and Goethe sometimes used the verb ''antworten'' for “to correspond to”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''antwurti'' glosses Latin ''responsum''.^(DWB2|3, 57)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 863–871 – Otfrid uses the word, sometimes as a feminine.^(DWB2|3, 57)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – The verb ''antwurten'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – The form ''Antwort'' replaces ''antwürte''.^(Kluge 2011|51)

+ * 2nd half of the 15th century – ''Verantwortung'' “justification, defence” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * End of the 16th century – The feminine gender becomes the only one.^(DWB2|3, 57)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|answer]], [[m|en|reply]]: something said or written in response to a question, a letter or a remark: ''Auf meine E-Mail habe ich noch keine Antwort bekommen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|reaction]], a response in deeds: ''Als Antwort schlug sie die Tür zu.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antworten]]

+ * [[beantworten]]

+ * [[verantworten]]

+ * [[Verantwortung]]

+ * [[überantworten]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Wort]]

+ * [[Antlitz]]

+ * [[en|answer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Um Antwort wird gebeten'' (abbreviated ''u.A.w.g.'') is the German RSVP on invitations.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Jemandem die Antwort schuldig bleiben'' is to leave someone without an answer.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793|1, 397)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}