gewiss German · revision 35867

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈvɪs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''gewiss''' (strong nominative masculine singular gewisser, comparative gewisser, superlative am gewissesten)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older spelling is ''gewiß''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|gewis]], [[inh|goh|giwis]], [[inh|gem-pro|*gawissaz|t=known, certain]].^(Kluge 2011|357)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|4, 451) The same word is [[got|𐌿𐌽𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍃|tr=unwiss|t=uncertain]], [[non|víss]], [[ang|gewis]] and [[ofs|wiss]], and today [[nl|gewis]] and [[sv|viss]].^(Kluge 2011|357)^(Wiktionary) It is an old to-participle of the verb now [[wissen]], so it properly meant “known”.^(Kluge 2011|357)^(Duden 7 2020|325) The participle goes back to [[ine-pro|*weyd-|alt=*u̯ei̯d-|t=to see]], through a form [[ine-pro|*widtós|alt=*u̯id-to-|t=seen]] in which the meeting dentals gave -ss-; [[sa|वित्त|tr=vittá|t=known]] corresponds exactly.^(EWA|4, 451)^(Duden 7 2020|325)^(DWB|6, 6140) The verb has since formed a new participle, [[gewusst]].^(Duden 7 2020|325)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''giwis'' is recorded from the end of the 8th century in glosses, and then in the Benedictine Rule, the Murbach Hymns, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “certain, sure, fixed, true, reliable”.^(EWA|4, 451)^(Schützeichel 2012|394)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “what is known” the word came to mean “what is surely known”, and then “certain, sure”.^(Duden 7 2020|325) The Grimms' dictionary points out that while [[weise]], from the same root, took an active sense (“knowing”), ''gewiss'' kept a passive one (“known”).^(DWB|6, 6140) The adverb (''gewiss!'' “certainly”) is attested in Middle High German, about 1185 in Hartmann's ''Erec''.^(Köbler MHD) In the modern language the adjective also means “certain, some”, of something not named more precisely (''ein gewisser Herr Krause'').^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''giwis'' appears in glosses.^(EWA|4, 451)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1077–1081 – Middle High German ''gewis'' is used in the Annolied.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * c. 1185 – The adverb ''gewis'' is used in Hartmann's ''Erec''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 17th century – ''vergewissern'' “to make sure” is formed.^(Duden 7 2020|325)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|certain]], not named more precisely though known to the speaker: ''eine gewisse Frau Lange''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Some, of a moderate degree: ''eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Certain, [[m|en|sure]], beyond doubt: ''Der Sieg ist ihr gewiss.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|certainly]], surely, indeed: ''Das hat er gewiss gewusst.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gewissheit]]

+ * [[gewisslich]]

+ * [[vergewissern]]

+ * [[ungewiss]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wissen]]

+ * [[weise]]

+ * [[Gewissen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Aber gewiss doch!'' is an emphatic “of course!”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Etwas für gewiss halten'' is to take something as certain.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}