Prozent German · revision 35874

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=15th century, south German merchants' language|origins=la centum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /pʁoˈt͡sɛnt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Prozent''' ''n'' (genitive Prozentes or Prozents, plural Prozente)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|it|per cento|t=for a hundred, per hundred]], borrowed into the language of south German merchants in the 15th century.^(Kluge 2011|728)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|662) The Italian phrase is made of [[m|it|per|t=for, by]] and [[m|it|cento|t=hundred]], from [[la|centum|t=hundred]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) A Latinised version with [[m|la|prō|t=for]] in place of the Italian preposition appeared beside it at the beginning of the 16th century and prevailed in German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|662)^(DFWB) The older form survives in Austrian [[Perzent]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|662)^(DFWB) The same phrase is [[nl|procent]], [[fr|pour-cent]] and [[en|per cent]].^(Kluge 2011|728)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Early New High German ''per cento'' appears in south German commercial sources of the 15th century as a merchants' term for “per hundred”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|662) The Deutsches Fremdwörterbuch cites a record of ''pro cento'' from 1505, and Peter Apian's arithmetic of 1527 uses both ''pro cento'' and ''per cento''.^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Written as one word, ''procent'' (17th century) gradually became a noun.^(Pfeifer 1993) From it German formed adjectives in ''-prozentig'', as in [[hochprozentig]] and [[hundertprozentig]] (19th century), and the Neo-Latin [[prozentual]] (late 19th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|662) The sign % developed from abbreviations of the same phrase.^(DFWB) The German replacement ''vom Hundert'', proposed in 1888, was fixed in the Civil Code and spread quickly from there.^(DFWB)

+

+ In the plural, ''Prozente'' also came to mean a share of profits or a discount calculated in per cent.^(Duden GWDS 1999) The German word was borrowed as [[pl|procent]] and [[ru|процент|tr=procent]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 15th century – ''per cento'' appears in south German merchants' language.^(Kluge 2011|728)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1505 – A record of ''pro cento''.^(DFWB)

+ * 1527 – Peter Apian's arithmetic book uses ''pro cento'' and ''per cento''.^(DFWB)

+ * Mid-16th century – The shortened form ''pro cent'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 17th century – ''procent'' is written as one word.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1888 – The German term ''vom Hundert'' is proposed as a replacement.^(DFWB)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|percent]], one hundredth of a whole, used with numbers relating to a base of one hundred: ''Das Bier hat fünf Prozent Alkohol.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, plural)'' A share of profit or a [[m|en|discount]] calculated in per cent: ''Prozente bekommen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[-prozentig]]

+ * [[prozentual]]

+ * [[hochprozentig]]

+ * [[hundertprozentig]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Zentner]]

+ * [[Perzent]]

+ * [[en|percent]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ After a number the word does not take the plural ending: ''fünf Prozent''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007) In Austria the older form [[Perzent]] is still used.^(Duden 7 2014|662)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}