Spitze German · revision 35971

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʃpɪt͡sə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Spitze''' ''f'' (genitive Spitze, plural Spitzen)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|spitze]], [[inh|goh|spizza|t=point, spike, summit]], a noun belonging to the adjective [[spitz]] ([[m|goh|spizzi]], [[m|gmh|spiz]]).^(Kluge 2011|869)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler MHD) Köbler sets up a noun [[gem-pro|*spitjōn|t=point]], and Wiktionary traces the word to [[gem-pro|*spitjaz]].^(Köbler AHD)^(Wiktionary) The adjective was at first only High German; [[nl|spits]], [[da|spids]] and [[no|spiss]] were borrowed from Middle Low German or German.^(EWA|8, 803)^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ The adjective is closely related to [[Spieß]] “spit, skewer”; the consonants are not clear, and forms with ⟨tz⟩ and ⟨ss⟩ seem to have alternated early.^(Kluge 2011|869) Both belong to a group of words on a base [[ine-pro|*spei-]] with senses connected with “pointed”, hard to delimit, which includes [[la|spīna|t=thorn, spine]].^(Kluge 2011|869)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Duden dictionary also compares [[sa|स्फ्य|tr=sphyá|t=wooden chip, staff]] and [[m|la|spīca|t=ear of grain]].^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''spizza'' is recorded from glosses of the 8th century on, meaning a point, sting, thorn, a palisade, and a summit or hill;^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|306) Notker and Williram use it for a palisade and a peak.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|306) Middle High German ''spitze'' was the pointed end of anything, as of a sword, and also the beak of a shoe, a spit of land, and a wedge-shaped battle order.^(Lexer 1872|2, 1101)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the wedge-shaped battle order came ''an der Spitze des Heeres'', “at the head of the army”, which in turn gave the sense “front, lead, leadership”.^(Adelung 1793) ''Jemandem die Spitze bieten'', to stand up to someone, first meant to hold out the point of one's sword in challenge.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793) In the written language ''Spitze'' drove out the masculine ''Spitz'';^(DWB|16, 2582) Luther used it, but the Zurich Bible of 1530 and Maaler's dictionary have only ''Spitz'', and the feminine is still less common in the south.^(DWB|16, 2582)

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+ From the 17th century ''Spitze'' also means [[m|en|lace]], properly a trimming of yarn ending in points.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) In the 20th century it was used as an indeclinable adjective ''spitze'' “first-rate”.^(Duden 7 2007)^(Wiktionary) Hungarian borrowed the word as [[hu|spicc|t=point, pointed end]] by 1574.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''spizza'' appears in glosses.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 11th century – The compound ''spizzimūs'' “shrew” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses ''Spitze'' where Upper German texts keep ''Spitz''.^(DWB|16, 2582)

+ * 1574 – Hungarian ''spicc'' is first recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 17th century – First record of the sense “lace”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007)

+ * 20th century – ''spitze'' comes into use as an adjective “great”.^(Duden 7 2007)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The sharp, pointed end of something; [[m|en|point]], [[m|en|tip]]: ''Die Spitze der Schere ist verbogen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The top of something tall; [[m|en|peak]], [[m|en|summit]]: ''Von der Spitze des Turms sieht man bis zum See.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The front, leading part of a moving group: ''Die Blaskapelle ging an der Spitze des Umzugs.'' In ball games, a [[m|en|striker]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The leading position in performance or success: ''an der Spitze liegen'';^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''an der Spitze einer Sache stehen'', to head it.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # The leading group of an organisation; in the plural, leading figures: ''Die Spitze des Vereins traf sich zu einer Krisensitzung.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A highest value, [[m|en|maximum]];^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''(colloquial)'' top speed: ''Der Wagen fährt 200 Spitze.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' The highest quality: ''Das Konzert war einfach Spitze.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A barbed remark aimed at someone; a [[m|en|jab]]: ''eine Spitze gegen den Minister''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|lace|alt=Lace]], fabric with an openwork pattern made of threads: ''ein Kragen aus Spitze''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spitze]]

+ * [[Spitzenreiter]]

+ * [[Messerspitze]]

+ * [[Turmspitze]]

+ * [[Zungenspitze]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spitz]]

+ * [[spitzen]]

+ * [[Spieß]]

+ * [[Spitzel]]

+ * [[Spitzname]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Etwas auf die Spitze treiben'' is to push something to the extreme, and ''die Spitze des Eisbergs'' is the visible, smaller part of a far bigger problem.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Einer Sache die Spitze nehmen'' or ''abbrechen'' is to take the sharpness or danger out of it.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}