finden German · revision 35747

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * [ˈfɪndn̩], [ˈfɪndən]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''finden''' (class 3 strong, third-person singular present findet, past tense fand, past participle gefunden, past subjunctive fände, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The past participle long had no ''ge-'': Old High German ''funtan'', Middle High German ''vunden'', and ''funden'' in New High German for a long time.^(DWB|3, 1641)

+ Some writers of the 17th century, such as Hans Sachs and Ayrer, still wrote ''finnen''.^(DWB|3, 1641)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|vinden]], [[inh|goh|findan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*finþan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*finþaną|t=to find]].^(Kluge 2011|295)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same strong verb is [[got|𐍆𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽|tr=finþan]], [[non|finna]], [[ang|findan]], [[ofs|finda]] and [[osx|findan]], with the modern [[nl|vinden]], [[en|find]] and [[sv|finna]].^(Kluge 2011|295)^(Pfeifer 1993) In West Germanic, and above all on the North Sea coast, the variant with grammatical change (/d/ for /þ/) was generalised, though Old Saxon also has [[m|osx|fīðan]].^(EWA|3, 251)

+

+ Its further origin is uncertain.^(Kluge 2011|295)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge thinks it most likely a nasalised form of the root [[ine-pro|*pet-|t=to fly, fall]], the root of [[Feder]], comparing the German phrase for “hitting upon” an idea, literally “falling on” it.^(Kluge 2011|295) Pfeifer, Duden and the revised Grimm dictionary prefer the root [[ine-pro|*pent-|t=to tread, go]], with [[grc|πατεῖν|tr=pateîn|t=to tread]], [[m|grc|πάτος|tr=pátos|t=path]] and [[la|pōns|t=bridge]]; finding would then first have been “treading on something, coming upon it”, as in [[m|la|inveniō|t=to find]], literally “to come upon”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|269)^(DWB2|9, 501) The LIV gives this root the sense “to find a way”.^(DWB2|9, 501) Duden adds [[osx|fāði|t=walking]] and [[goh|fendo|t=pedestrian, foot soldier]] to the same family.^(Duden 7 2020|269)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''findan'' is recorded from the glosses (765) on and in Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|103) It meant to find or find again, come upon, discover, notice and recognise, but also to learn, decide and devise, and ''reht findan'' was to pass judgement.^(Schützeichel 2012|103)^(EWA|3, 251) The Monsee fragments, in a manuscript of the early 9th century, have ''so huuenan so ir findet ladot'' “whomever you find, invite” to the wedding.^(DWB2|9, 501)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul notes that the verb can express either the result of a search or a chance meeting, as in Luther's ''vnd funden das Kindlin mit Maria seiner mutter'' (“and found the young child with Mary his mother”).^(Paul 2002) With abstract objects (''Ruhe finden'', ''Gnade finden'') it has, since the 19th century, increasingly formed fixed verb phrases such as ''Beachtung finden'' “to receive attention” and ''Verwendung finden'' “to be used”.^(Paul 2002) From “come upon in thought” it weakened to “consider, judge”, as in Goethe's ''Begreife nicht was er an mir find't'' (“I cannot grasp what he sees in me”).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Its prefixed verbs developed their own senses: Old High German ''irfindan'' “to learn, recognise” (9th century) became [[erfinden]] “to invent”, with [[Erfinder]] and [[Erfindung]] from the 15th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|269) [[abfinden]] was first, in 14th-century Low German legal language, “to deny by a court judgement”; it has meant “to settle a claim, compensate” since the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) The noun [[Fund]] shows the zero grade of the verb; [[Findling]], first a foundling, has also meant a boulder carried by glaciers since the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''findan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – First record of Old High German ''irfindan'', the ancestor of ''erfinden''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – ''abfinden'' is used in Low German legal language.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''Erfinder'' and ''Erfindung'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|269)

+ * 16th century – ''abfinden'' “to compensate” and ''Abfindung'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – First record of ''erfinderisch'' “inventive”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 19th century – ''Findling'' is used for a glacial boulder.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|find]] by chance or by searching; to [[m|en|discover]]: ''Er hat im Park einen Schlüssel gefunden.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To turn up, be found: ''Das verlorene Heft hat sich wieder gefunden.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To obtain through one's own efforts: ''eine Stelle finden'', ''neue Freunde finden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To arrive at by thinking: ''eine Erklärung finden''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To find in a certain state: ''Wir fanden die Tür offen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To [[m|en|consider]], think: ''Ich finde den Film langweilig.''^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To find one's way: ''Sie fand allein nach Hause.''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Fund]]

+ * [[findig]]

+ * [[fündig]]

+ * [[Finder]]

+ * [[Findung]]

+ * [[abfinden]]

+ * [[Abfindung]]

+ * [[befinden]]

+ * [[empfinden]]

+ * [[erfinden]]

+ * [[Erfinder]]

+ * [[Erfindung]]

+ * [[stattfinden]]

+ * [[auffinden]]

+ * [[herausfinden]]

+ * [[vorfinden]]

+ * [[ausfindig]]

+ * [[spitzfindig]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Findelkind]]

+ * [[Findling]]

+ * [[fahnden]]

+ * [[en|find]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}