wohnen German · revision 35956

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈvoːnən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''wohnen''' (third-person singular present wohnt, past tense wohnte, past participle gewohnt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|wonen]], [[inh|goh|wonēn|t=to stay, dwell; to be accustomed]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*wunēn]], [[inh|gem-pro|*wunāną]].^(Kluge 2011|994)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler AHD) The same verb is [[osx|wonon]], [[ang|wunian|t=to dwell, remain]], [[ofs|wonia]] and [[nl|wonen]].^(Kluge 2011|994)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Beside it stand [[got|𐌿𐌽𐍅𐌿𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃|tr=unwunands|t=discontented, troubled]] and [[non|una|t=to be content; to dwell]], from which Kluge infers “to be content” as the common starting point.^(Kluge 2011|994)^(Kroonen 2013) Kroonen explains the Germanic verb as a stative formed from an adjective meaning “accustomed”.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In ablaut with it are [[gewöhnen]] and [[gewohnt]], and Kluge thinks the whole group is probably connected with [[gewinnen]] and [[Wonne]], with an original sense such as “to love, value”.^(Kluge 2011|994) Pfeifer and Duden derive it from the root [[ine-pro|*wenh₁-|t=to strive for, wish, love]], with a development from “to strive for” through “to be satisfied, like, be used to” to “to stay at an accustomed place”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|938)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Köbler dates the first Old High German records to glosses of the last quarter of the 8th century.^(Köbler AHD) Schützeichel gives the senses “to dwell, stay, be; to live; to remain, last” and, with the genitive, “to persevere in”, in Isidor, the Monsee fragments, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Schützeichel 2012|399) The glosses also show the sense “to be accustomed”, translating Latin ''solent'' with ''wonent''.^(DWB|30, 1216)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle High German the verb usually meant more generally “to stay, linger”, as still in Luther's ''Vnd das Wort ward Fleisch / vnd wonet vnter vns'' “and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” and in a letter of Goethe's from 1777, ''ich wohne in stiller Traurigkeit'' “I dwell in quiet sadness”.^(Paul 2002) This older sense survives in [[beiwohnen]] and in ''im Hotel wohnen''.^(Paul 2002) Middle High German already used it commonly for having one's permanent home, and figuratively in Faust's ''Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The sense “to be accustomed” was still alive in Early New High German and is found in glossaries of the 15th century, but survives today only in [[gewohnt]] and [[gewöhnen]].^(DWB|30, 1216) The noun [[Wohnung]], Old High German ''wonunga'' from the 9th century, at first also meant a stay and a custom.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Lexer 1872|3, 976)^(Paul 2002) Compounds include ''Wohnhaus'' from Middle High German, ''Wohnsitz'' recorded by Kramer in 1702, ''Wohnwagen'' from 1905 and ''Wohngemeinschaft'' “shared flat”, listed in 1977.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''wonēn'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – First record of ''wonunga'' “dwelling”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1425 – A Low German glossary still renders Latin ''consuere'' with ''wonen'' “to be used to”.^(DWB|30, 1216)

+ * 1702 – Kramer records ''Wohnsitz''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1777 – Goethe writes ''ich wohne in stiller Traurigkeit''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1905 – First record of ''Wohnwagen''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1977 – ''Wohngemeinschaft'' is listed in a dictionary of contemporary German.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|live]], [[m|en|reside]], have one's home somewhere: ''Wir wohnen seit acht Jahren in Leipzig.'' ''Sie wohnt im dritten Stock.'' Idiom: ''hinter dem Mond wohnen'', to be out of touch.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To stay somewhere for a time, to be [[m|en|lodge|alt=lodged]]: ''Während der Messe wohnte er bei einem Kollegen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Wohnung]]

+ * [[wohnhaft]]

+ * [[bewohnen]]

+ * [[beiwohnen]]

+ * [[innewohnen]]

+ * [[wohnlich]]

+ * [[Wohnort]]

+ * [[Wohnzimmer]]

+ * [[Wohnheim]]

+ * [[Einwohner]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[gewöhnen]]

+ * [[gewohnt]]

+ * [[Wonne]]

+ * [[gewinnen]]

+ * [[ang|wunian]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}