echt German · revision 35969

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=13th century, Sachsenspiegel|origins=gml ēhaft}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛçt/, [ʔɛçt]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''echt''' (strong nominative masculine singular echter, comparative echter, superlative am echtesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|gml|echt|t=lawful, genuine]], taken over from Low German, contracted from [[m|gml|ēhacht]], earlier [[m|gml|ēhaft|t=legally valid, lawful, born in wedlock]], a derivative of [[m|gml|ē|t=law, divine commandment, contract, marriage]], the word continued by [[Ehe]].^(Kluge 2011|227)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The change of /ft/ to /xt/ is Low German, as in [[Nichte]] and [[sacht]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The High German counterpart is [[gmh|ēhaft]], [[goh|ēohaft|t=in keeping with custom, pious]], from [[gmw-pro|*aiwahaft]], and it matches [[ofs|aft|t=lawful]].^(Kluge 2011|227)^(Wiktionary) [[nl|echt]] is the same word, and [[is|ekta]], [[sv|äkta]] and [[da|ægte]] were borrowed from Middle Low German.^(DWB2|7, 37)

+

+ The sources date its entry into High German differently: Kluge and Paul to the 13th century, through the [[Sachsenspiegel]], Pfeifer to the 13th century in Central German, and the Duden dictionary to the 16th century, as a legal term.^(Kluge 2011|227)^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|221) The Grimms noted that the old Upper German dialects did not know it, and that neither Geiler von Kaysersberg nor Luther used it.^(DWB|3, 20)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sachsenspiegel'' (13th century) uses it freely in ''echte nôt'', ''echt ding'', ''echte wîf'' and ''echt'' or ''unecht boren'', where the Swabian law book has ''êhaft'' and ''êlich''.^(DWB|3, 20) ''Echte Not'' was a hardship the law accepted as an excuse for not appearing in court, and ''echtes Ding'' a regular court held without summons; a document of 1261 says that the mayor holds three ''echte ding'' a year.^(DWB2|7, 37)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The first sense was “lawful, legitimate”: Stieler gives ''ein achter Sohn'' for Latin ''filius legitimus'', and Schiller's Mary Stuart speaks of being born ''im echten Ehebett''; since the 19th century this survives only in historical writing.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|7, 37) From the 17th century, first in the formula ''echt und recht'', it came to mean the opposite of false, imitated or merely apparent, as in Goethe's ''Der echte Moslem spricht vom Paradiese''.^(DWB2|7, 37)^(Paul 2002) Later it took special senses such as “fast” of colours, as in [[farbecht]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The Grimms rejected the spelling ''ächt''.^(DWB|3, 20) In colloquial and youth language ''echt'' is an adverb “really”, as in Plenzdorf.^(Paul 2002) English borrowed ''echt'' “genuine, typical” by 1916, and Upper Silesian Polish ''echt'' is recorded in 1854.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''ēwahaft'' “lawful, pious” is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|227)

+ * 13th century – The ''Sachsenspiegel'' uses ''echt'' as a legal word.^(DWB|3, 20)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1261 – A charter speaks of three ''echte ding''.^(DWB2|7, 37)

+ * 17th century – ''echt'' comes to mean “genuine, not false”.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB2|7, 37)

+ * 18th century – The noun ''Echtheit'' is formed.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1854 – ''echt'' is recorded in Upper Silesian Polish.^(LWP)

+ * 1916 – First record of ''echt'' in English.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|genuine|alt=Genuine]], not imitated or forged; also [[m|en|purebred]]: ''ein echter Rubin'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''ein echter Dackel''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|real|alt=Real]], not pretended or merely apparent: ''Ihre Freude war echt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|typical|alt=Typical]]: ''Das war wieder ein echter Montag.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' Of a fraction, [[m|en|proper]]: ''ein echter Bruch''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(chemistry, textiles)'' Of colours, [[m|en|fast]], hardly affected by washing, light or chemicals.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(dated)'' Lawful, legitimate.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Really, truly: ''Der Film war echt spannend.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Expresses disbelief or surprise at news: ''Echt? Das wusste ich nicht.''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Echtheit]]

+ * [[unecht]]

+ * [[waschecht]]

+ * [[farbecht]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Ehe]]

+ * [[ehehaft]]

+ * [[gml|ēhaft]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}