speziell German · revision 35663

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1718|origins=la speciō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃpeˈtsi̯ɛl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''speziell''' (strong nominative masculine singular spezieller, comparative spezieller, superlative am speziellsten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a remodelling of older [[spezial]], given an ending that imitates French at the beginning of the 18th century; it replaced the older adjective when used on its own.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DFWB)^(Duden 7 2007) Wiktionary compares [[generell]], formed in the same way from older [[general]].^(Wiktionary) The older adjective is [[bor|la|speciālis|t=particular, peculiar]], recorded in German from the end of the 15th century, at first in compounds.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Like [[fr|spécial]], it goes back to the Latin word, a derivative of [[m|la|speciēs|t=appearance, kind]] (see [[Spezies]]), from the stem of [[m|la|speciō|t=to look at]].^(Duden 7 2007)^(Pfeifer 1993) The older form survives as the first element of compounds such as [[Spezialgebiet]] and [[Spezialarzt]].^(Duden 7 2007)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The DFWB has its first record in 1718, in ''wenn ich sehr speciell gehen … wolte'' “if I wanted to go into great detail”, and in 1724 one was to gather ''spezielle Nachricht'' “particular information” about a country.^(DFWB) The meaning was “particular, individual, special”.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Lavater wrote in 1772 of “the special and individual fates” of a person, and Schiller of a ''speciellere Beziehung'' in a letter to Goethe of 8 July 1796.^(DWB|16, 2202) The strengthened ''ganz speziell'' is recorded from 1728, and ''meine ganz speciellen Freunde'' from 1796, often ironically.^(Paul 2002) From the early 19th century ''speziell'' had fully replaced ''spezial'' as an independent adjective, often as an adverb, but it is never used in compounds.^(DFWB) Since the early 20th century ''auf dein Spezielles!'' has been a colloquial toast, first recorded in 1906.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

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+ From ''Spezial'' “close friend” (second half of the 18th century), older ''specialer Freund'', came the Upper German short form [[Spezi]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Related loanwords are [[Spezialität]] (early 17th century), and [[spezialisieren]] and [[Spezialist]] (both first half of the 19th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 15th century – ''spezial'' is first recorded, mostly in compounds.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1718 – First record of ''speziell''.^(DFWB)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1728 – ''die gantz speciellen Titul''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1772 – Lavater writes of ''speciellen'' fates.^(DWB|16, 2202)

+ * 1796 – ''meine ganz speciellen Freunde'', often ironic.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Early 19th century – ''speziell'' fully replaces ''spezial'' as an independent adjective.^(DFWB)

+ * 1906 – First record of the toast ''auf dein Spezielles''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|special]], [[m|en|particular]], specific; aimed at a particular case, not general: ''Für diese Arbeit braucht man ein spezielles Werkzeug.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(ironic)'' ''mein ganz spezieller Freund'': someone one does not like at all.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' ''Auf dein Spezielles!'': to your health!^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DFWB)

+ # ''im Speziellen'' ''(chiefly Switzerland)'': in particular.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|especially]], specifically: ''eine speziell für ältere Menschen entwickelte Software'';^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''(colloquial)'' ''du speziell'' “you of all people”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spezial]]

+ * [[Spezi]]

+ * [[Spezialität]]

+ * [[spezialisieren]]

+ * [[Spezialist]]

+ * [[Spezies]]

+ * [[generell]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}