Angriff German · revision 35768

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1060, Williram|origins=gmw-pro *anagripi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈanˌɡʁɪf/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Angriff''' ''m'' (genitive Angriffes or Angriffs, plural Angriffe)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|anegrif]], [[inh|goh|anagrif|t=touch, embrace]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*anagripi|t=seizure]], formed from [[an]] and the noun [[Griff]], and belonging to the verb [[angreifen]].^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA) The same formation is [[gml|angrēpe]], [[dum|aengreep]], [[ang|ongripe]] and [[non|ágrip]].^(EWA)^(DWB2|2, 995) The verb [[m|goh|anagrīfan]] is formed from [[greifen]], from [[gem-pro|*grīpaną]], also in [[got|𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍀𐌰𐌽|tr=greipan]], [[non|grípa]] and [[ang|grīpan]]; outside Germanic only [[lt|griebti|alt=griẽbti|t=to grab]] matches it closely.^(Kluge 2011|373)^(Pfeifer 1993) Its meaning went from “to touch, take hold of” to “to come into contact with, begin” and finally “to attack”.^(Kluge 2011|45)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Williram of Ebersberg's paraphrase of the Song of Songs (about 1060) uses ''anagrif'' for the bride's touch, translating ''tactus'': “my womb trembled at his touch”.^(DWB2|2, 995)^(AWB)^(Schützeichel 2012|35) The Latinized form ''anagrip'', “touching” a free woman, already occurs in the 7th-century Lombard laws of Rothari.^(DWB2|2, 995)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German the noun still meant touching, also a handle.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|2, 995) In legal language it named the arrest of a suspect, by laying hands on him, and the right to arrest, and in the 16th century also torture.^(DWB2|2, 995)^(Adelung 1793|1, 308) The sense of a hostile act grew from “hostile touching, assault” in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the verb was already used in a hostile sense in 1235.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Adelung (1793) lists the attack in war beside the legal senses.^(Adelung 1793|1, 308)

+

+ The phrase ''etwas in Angriff nehmen'' “to begin, set about something” is first recorded in 1844 and keeps the old sense of the verb, “to start”.^(Paul 2002) In sport the word names an attacking move and the attacking players, and figuratively it is sharp criticism.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 7th century – Latinized ''anagrip'' in the Lombard laws of Rothari.^(DWB2|2, 995)

+ * About 1060 – Williram uses ''anagrif'' for a touch or embrace.^(DWB2|2, 995)

+ * 14th–15th century – The sense “hostile attack” develops.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1593 – A Magdeburg judgement uses it for torture.^(DWB2|2, 995)

+ * 1844 – First record of ''in Angriff nehmen''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An [[m|en|attack]] on an enemy; an [[m|en|offensive]]: ''Die Truppen gingen im Morgengrauen zum Angriff über.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' An attacking move, and the attacking players of a team: ''Der Angriff der Gäste blieb harmlos.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Sharp [[m|en|criticism]] or hostility: ''Der Minister wehrte sich gegen die Angriffe der Opposition.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''etwas in Angriff nehmen'': to set about, [[m|en|tackle]] something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Angriffskrieg]]

+ * [[Luftangriff]]

+ * [[angriffslustig]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[angreifen]]

+ * [[Angreifer]]

+ * [[greifen]]

+ * [[Griff]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}