seit German · revision 35873

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 800, Old High German|origins=gem-pro *sīþiz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zaɪ̯t/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria: [saɛ̯t]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''seit'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|sīt]], [[inh|goh|sīd]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sīþiz|alt=*seiþiz|t=later]], an old comparative adverb whose ending was regularly lost in West Germanic, so that the preposition properly meant “later than”.^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|772) The same word is [[osx|sīð]], [[ang|sīþ]], [[non|síðr|t=less, hardly]] and the second element in [[got|𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌰𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐍃|tr=þanaseiþs|t=further, any more]].^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Pfeifer 1993) The positive of the adjective, meaning “late”, is [[gem-pro|*sīþuz]], kept in [[m|got|𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌿𐍃|tr=seiþus|t=late]].^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|772)

+

+ Outside Germanic the closest match is [[la|sērus|t=late]], which became a noun for “evening” as the Gothic phrase [[m|got|𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌿 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌸|tr=seiþu warþ|t=it became late]] means “evening came”;^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Wiktionary) Kluge also compares [[sa|सायम्|tr=sāyám|t=in the evening]].^(Kluge 2011|841)^(Wiktionary) Kluge derives these from a root [[ine-pro|*sēi-|t=to let go, cease]], through a sense “at the ceasing”;^(Kluge 2011|841) Pfeifer likewise considers the root behind [[säen]], in a secondary sense “let the hand drop, linger”, possible,^(Pfeifer 1993) while Wiktionary starts from [[ine-pro|*seh₁-|t=long, lasting]].^(Wiktionary) The dative after the preposition stands for the ablative that once followed a comparative.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''sīd'' is first recorded about 800, in the Hildebrandslied, and appears also in the Muspilli, the Ludwigslied, Otfrid and Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|279) It was an adverb meaning “afterwards, later, since then”, a preposition “since, after” and a conjunction “since, after, because”.^(Schützeichel 2012|279)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a free adverb meaning “later” the word died out;^(Paul 2002) Paul cites Rückert's artificial revival of it.^(Paul 2002) With a dative, ''seit'' “later than” came to mean “from a given time until now” (''seit ihrer Geburt''), and then also counted a period (''seit einem Jahr'').^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The causal sense “because”, supported in Middle High German by ''sīt daʒ'', has been lost, and the coordinating use passed to [[seitdem]] (adverb about 1700, conjunction 18th century), probably shortened from a phrase such as Middle High German ''sīt dem māle'' “since the time”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|772) [[seither]] (16th century) goes back to Middle High German ''sīt her'', influenced by the comparative ''sīder'' “later”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''sīd'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 16th century – ''seither'' “since then” is first recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1700 – ''seitdem'' is used as an adverb.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''seitdem'' is used as a conjunction.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # ''(with dative)'' [[m|en|since]]: from a point in time on, until now: ''seit dem Frühjahr''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with dative)'' [[m|en|for]], over a period up to now: ''Wir warten seit zwei Stunden.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # Since, from the time when: ''Seit sie in Bremen wohnt, fährt sie Rad.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[seitdem]]

+ * [[seither]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sintemal]]

+ * [[säen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The fixed phrase ''seit eh und je'' means “for as long as anyone can remember, always”.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Paul notes that ''seit lange'' is found in Lenau and Grillparzer, while ''seit langem'' is the usual form.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}