nun German · revision 35872

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /nuːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nun'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|nū|alt=nū, nu]], [[inh|goh|nū|alt=nu]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*nū]], [[inh|gem-pro|*nu|t=now]].^(Kluge 2011|661)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐌽𐌿|tr=nu]], [[non|nú]], [[ang|nū]], [[ofs|nū]] and [[osx|nū]], and today [[nl|nu]], [[en|now]] and [[sv|nu]].^(Kluge 2011|661)^(Orel 2003) It continues [[ine-pro|*nu|t=now]], an adverb also found in [[hit|nu|t=now, and]], [[sa|नु|tr=nú]], [[grc|νυ|tr=nu]] and [[lt|nù]], and with extensions in [[m|grc|νῦν|tr=nûn]], [[la|nunc]] and [[cu|нынѣ|tr=nyně]].^(Kluge 2011|661)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary take it to be probably an ablaut form of the root of [[neu]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|589)

+

+ The final -n was added in the 13th century.^(Kluge 2011|661)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge explains it by the model of other adverbs of time such as [[dann]] and [[wann]],^(Kluge 2011|661) Pfeifer by the enclitic negative particle [[m|gmh|ne|alt=-ne]] of negated sentences, as in Hartmann von Aue, whose role was forgotten when double negation went out of use.^(Pfeifer 1993) Paul gives both explanations.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''nū'' is very frequent in the texts (Köbler counts over a thousand instances); it is recorded in glosses from 765 and then in the Hildebrandslied, Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “now”, also “so, therefore, since”.^(Köbler AHD) It was already used as a conjunction in some Old High German texts.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The form with -n, first ''nuon'' in the 13th century and ''nun'' from the 14th, became the written standard in the 17th century; the older ''nu'' remained in dialect and everyday speech.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|589) Paul notes that ''nu'' was still the main form until the 16th century.^(Paul 2002) Besides the temporal sense, the word took on a causal, connecting role (“now then, so”), as Greek νῦν also did, and it became a particle that stresses a question or expresses hesitation.^(DWB|13, 982)^(Pfeifer 1993) In its strict sense “at this moment” it has largely been replaced by [[jetzt]].^(Paul 2002)

+

+ As a conjunction “now that” it was used until the 19th century and sporadically into the 20th, but is no longer usual.^(Pfeifer 1993) The noun [[Nu]] “moment”, formed in the 13th century, keeps the form without -n and survives mainly in ''im Nu'' “in no time” (17th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|589)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 13th century – The form ''nuon'' with final -n appears, and the noun ''nū'' “moment” is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – The spelling ''nun'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''nunmehr'' “now, from now on” is used.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – ''nun'' becomes the standard written form, and ''im Nu'' “in a moment” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|now]], at the present moment: ''Nun beginnt der zweite Teil.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Now, under these circumstances, after what has happened: ''Was machen wir nun?''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # By now, meanwhile: something is finished or still the case at this point.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Nowadays, in contrast to the past.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Particle===

+ # ''(unstressed)'' Used for minor emphasis, contrasting expectation and reality, or suggesting the answer to a question.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(unstressed)'' Expressing that something cannot be changed: ''So ist es nun.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # [[m|en|well]], so, introducing a remark or a question.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # ''(literary, dated)'' Now that.^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Nu]]

+ * [[nunmehr]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[neu]]

+ * [[noch]]

+ * [[jetzt]]

+ * [[en|now]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Nun und nimmer'' or ''nun und nimmermehr'' “never” is a dated fixed phrase, and ''von nun an'' means “from now on”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}