liegen German · revision 35744

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈliːɡən/, [ˈliːɡən], [ˈliːɡŋ̍]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''liegen''' (class 5 strong, third-person singular present liegt, past tense lag, past participle gelegen, past subjunctive läge, auxiliary haben or sein)^(Wiktionary)

+ The spelling ''liegen'', with ⟨ie⟩ for the long vowel, appears in the 16th century for older ''ligen''.^(DWB|12, 999)

+ From the 12th century the contracted forms ''lît'' “lies” and ''lîst'' “you lie” were common;^(DWB|12, 999) ''leit'' and ''leist'' lasted into the 17th century.^(DWB|12, 999)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|ligen]], [[inh|goh|liggen]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*liggjan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*ligjaną|t=to lie]].^(Kluge 2011|578)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same strong verb is [[non|liggja]], [[ang|licgan]], [[ofs|lidza]], [[osx|liggian]] and [[got|𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=ligan]]; the Gothic verb probably lost the /j/ of its present later.^(Kluge 2011|578)^(Kroonen 2013) Its causative is [[legen]], literally “to make lie”.^(Kluge 2011|578)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ It continues the root [[ine-pro|*legʰ-|t=to lie down, lie]], with the same present formation in [[sga|laigid|t=lies down]] and in [[cu|ложе|tr=lože|t=bed]].^(Kluge 2011|578) Other relatives are [[grc|λέχος|tr=lékhos|t=bed]], [[la|lectus|t=bed]], [[ru|лежать|tr=ležátʹ|t=to lie]], [[hit|lagāri|t=bends]] and [[txb|leke|t=bed, couch]].^(Kluge 2011|578)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The double consonant of the Old High German present arose from the /j/ and belonged only to the present; the modern form generalised the single consonant of the second and third persons singular.^(EWA|5, 1256)^(Wiktionary) Unlike verbs such as [[geben]], the vowel of the present stayed /i/ in all persons.^(DWB|12, 999)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''liggen'' appears in Alemannic glosses of the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th century, then in the Benedictine Rule, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|5, 1256)^(Schützeichel 2012|200) It meant to lie, be situated, remain lying, be ready, succumb and also to sleep with someone; the past participle ''gilegan'' also meant “related, near”.^(EWA|5, 1256)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul notes that the verb, like ''sitzen'' and ''stehen'', once also meant entering the state, “to lie down”; this survives in [[erliegen]] and [[unterliegen]] and in Swiss usage.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) For the same reason the perfect was formed with ''sein'', as in Luther and Goethe, and it still is in the south.^(Paul 2002) ''Liegendes Gut'' “immovable property” was contrasted with ''fahrende Habe'' “movables”; from it came [[Liegenschaft]] (early 19th century).^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The noun [[Anliegen]] “request, concern” goes back to the 15th century, [[Angelegenheit]] “matter” to the 17th; the furniture called [[Liege]] dates from the first half of the 20th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|513)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''liggen'' in Alemannic glosses.^(EWA|5, 1256)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''untarliggen'', the ancestor of ''unterliegen''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – The noun ''Anliegen'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The spelling ''liegen'' appears.^(DWB|12, 999)

+ * 17th century – ''Angelegenheit'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Early 19th century – ''Liegenschaft'' “real estate”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * First half of the 20th century – ''Liege'' “couch”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|lie]], be in a horizontal position: ''Die Katze liegt auf dem Sofa.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Switzerland)'' To lie down.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be somewhere, of flat objects, and of patients in a hospital: ''Der Brief liegt auf dem Tisch.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be [[m|en|located]], of places: ''Das Dorf liegt an einem See.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be at a certain level or rank: ''Die Temperatur liegt bei zehn Grad.''^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # With ''an'': to be due to: ''Das liegt am Wetter.''^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # With a dative: to suit, be easy for: ''Mathematik liegt ihr nicht.''^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[abliegen]]

+ * [[anliegen]]

+ * [[Anliegen]]

+ * [[Anlieger]]

+ * [[aufliegen]]

+ * [[erliegen]]

+ * [[obliegen]]

+ * [[unterliegen]]

+ * [[vorliegen]]

+ * [[Liege]]

+ * [[Liegenschaft]]

+ * [[liegenlassen]]

+ * [[naheliegen]]

+ * [[brachliegen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[legen]]

+ * [[Lage]]

+ * [[Lager]]

+ * [[gelegen]]

+ * [[Gelegenheit]]

+ * [[en|lie]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In the 16th and 17th centuries ''liegen'' was also the usual spelling of [[lügen]] “to tell lies”, which allowed puns such as Weckherlin's.^(DWB|12, 999)^(FWB)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}