bewegen German · revision 36066

+ The strong verb ''bewegen'' (''bewog, bewogen'') and the weak ''bewegen'' (''bewegte, bewegt'') have been used side by side without a clear division of meaning since Old High German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|146) The modern split, with the strong forms for “induce” and the weak ones for “move”, was reached only in New High German.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ {{homograph|1|induce, persuade}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=late 8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *weǵʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈveːɡən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bewegen''' (class 4 strong, third-person singular present bewegt, past tense bewog, past participle bewogen, past subjunctive bewöge, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb meaning “induce” is [[inh|gmh|bewëgen]], formed [[af|goh|bi-|wegan|t2=to weigh, move]].^(Kluge 2011|118)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The simple verb continues [[gem-pro|*weganą|t=to move, carry; to weigh]], whose descendants in modern German are [[wägen]] and [[wiegen]].^(Kluge 2011|118)^(Wiktionary) Kluge notes that its present tense now looks weak, since its vowel continues an umlauted ⟨a⟩.^(Kluge 2011|118)

+

+ The same strong verb is [[osx|wegan|t=to weigh]], [[ang|wegan|t=to move, carry, weigh]], [[non|vega|t=to swing, lift, weigh]] and [[got|𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=gawigan|t=to move, shake]], and English [[m|en|weigh]] continues the Old English word.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|146) It belongs to the root [[ine-pro|*weǵʰ-|t=to move, carry, travel]], also found in [[sa|वहति|tr=váhati|t=drives, carries]], [[la|vehō|t=to carry, convey]], [[ru|везти|tr=veztí|t=to carry]] and [[lt|vežti|alt=vèžti|t=to drive, carry]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|146)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''biwegan'' is first recorded in glosses of the last quarter of the 8th century, meaning “to move, roll, weigh up, consider”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|375) The revised Grimm dictionary gives as its earliest record a gloss of the 8th or 9th century rendering Latin [[m|la|perpendō|alt=perpendat]] “let him weigh up”.^(DWB2|5, 85)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German the reflexive ''sich bewegen'' meant “to renounce, turn away from” and “to resolve on something”: in Hartmann's ''Erec'' (about 1185) a lady quickly makes up her mind to take one of two men as her husband.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|5, 85) The sense “to weigh up, judge” lasted into the 17th century and then died out.^(DWB2|5, 85) Between the 17th and the 19th century the strong verb narrowed to “induce”, a sense that had really belonged to the weak verb, because its other meanings passed to other verbs such as [[erwägen]].^(Kluge 2011|118)^(DWB2|5, 85) Paul quotes Adelung's ''Was mich am meisten dazu bewog, war dieses'' (“what most induced me to it was this”).^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The old participle ''bewogen'' also meant “well disposed”, now ''gewogen'';^(DWB|1, 1768) Swedish and Danish took this word over from German.^(DWB|1, 1768) [[Beweggrund]] “motive” appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, as a German rendering of ''Motiv''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – Old High German ''biwegan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|5, 85)

+ * About 1185 – Hartmann's ''Erec'' uses ''sich bewegen'' “to resolve on”.^(DWB2|5, 85)

+ * 17th century – The sense “weigh up” dies out.^(DWB2|5, 85)

+ * Early 18th century – ''Beweggrund'' “motive” is formed.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th to 19th century – The strong verb narrows to “induce”.^(DWB2|5, 85)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|induce]], [[m|en|persuade]] or prompt someone to do something (past ''bewog'', participle ''bewogen''): ''Was hat ihn bewogen, die Stadt zu verlassen?''^(Wiktionary)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Beweggrund]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|move}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=12th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *weǵʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈveːɡən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bewegen''' (third-person singular present bewegt, past tense bewegte, past participle bewegt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The verb meaning “move” is [[inh|gmh|bewegen]], formed [[af|goh|bi-|weggen|t2=to set in motion]].^(Kluge 2011|118)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|5, 86) Wiktionary already reconstructs the prefixed form for Proto-West Germanic, as [[m|gmw-pro|*biwaggjan]].^(Wiktionary) Since it had the sense “change position” from the start, like the simple weak verb, Kluge takes it as a prefixed form of that verb rather than a derivative of the strong prefixed verb.^(Kluge 2011|118)

+

+ The simple weak verb is the causative of the strong [[m|goh|wegan|t=to weigh, move]]; the same causative is [[ang|wecgan|t=to move, drive]] and [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=wagjan|t=to shake, move]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|146) Both verbs go back to the root [[ine-pro|*weǵʰ-|t=to move, carry, travel]], which also gave [[Weg]], [[Wagen]], [[Woge]] and [[Wiege]].^(Duden 7 2020|146)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''biweggen'' is recorded in glosses of the 12th century, meaning “to move, excite, stir, attack”; one renders Latin [[m|la|commoveō|alt=commotus]] “stirred” with ''biwegit''.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|5, 86) In Middle High German the Exodus poem (about 1120–1130) already uses it of rousing feelings: ''got het er beweget'', “he had moved God”.^(DWB2|5, 86)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the beginning the weak verb meant both moving something and moving someone inwardly, and also “to cause” and, reflexively, “to decide”, so that the two verbs overlapped.^(Kluge 2011|118)^(DWB2|5, 86) The Grimms point out that Gothic [[m|got|𐍅𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽|tr=wigan]] and ''wagjan'' already met in meaning, so it is no wonder the German forms ran into one another.^(DWB|1, 1768) By the 16th century at the latest ''bewegen'' had taken over the function of the simple weak verb ''wegen''.^(Kluge 2011|118)

+

+ Luther's Bible has ''Die Erde bebete vnd ward bewegt'' (“the earth shook and trembled”, 2 Samuel 22:8) for physical movement, and ''Maria aber behielt alle diese wort / vnd beweget sie in jrem hertzen'' (“Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart”, Luke 2:19) for turning something over in the mind.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Bewegung]], Old High German ''biwegunga'', later also meant “uproar”;^(Pfeifer 1993) Goethe used it of the French Revolution, and under the influence of French ''mouvement'' it came to name political currents in the 19th and 20th centuries, as in ''Arbeiterbewegung''.^(Pfeifer 1993) Swedish ''beveka'' and Danish ''bevæge'' were borrowed from the German verb.^(DWB|1, 1771)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1120–1130 – The Middle High German Exodus uses ''bewegen'' of stirring feelings.^(DWB2|5, 86)

+ * 12th century – Old High German ''biweggen'' and ''biwegunga'' appear in manuscripts of glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''Bewegen'' takes over the role of the simple verb ''wegen''.^(Kluge 2011|118)

+ * 19th and 20th centuries – ''Bewegung'' names political movements.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|move]] something, to change its position (past ''bewegte'', participle ''bewegt''): ''Der Sturm bewegte die Äste der Pappel.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To move, not to stay still; to go somewhere, change place steadily: ''Die Erde bewegt sich um die Sonne.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To take [[m|en|exercise]]; also to exercise an animal: ''Nach dem Essen sollte man sich ein wenig bewegen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' To [[m|en|behave]], to move in certain circles: ''Sie bewegt sich sicher auf dem diplomatischen Parkett.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To move someone emotionally, to [[m|en|touch]]: ''Der Brief hat sie tief bewegt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To occupy someone's mind: ''Diese Frage bewegt ihn seit Jahren.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Bewegung]]

+ * [[beweglich]]

+ * [[fortbewegen]]

+ * [[weiterbewegen]]

+ * [[zurückbewegen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wägen]]

+ * [[wiegen]]

+ * [[Waage]]

+ * [[erwägen]]

+ * [[unentwegt]]

+ * [[en|weigh]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}