betroffen German · revision 36075

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1572}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈtʁɔfən/, [bəˈtʁɔfɱ̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''betroffen''' (strong nominative masculine singular betroffener, not comparable)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the past participle of [[betreffen]], used as an adjective.^(DWB2|5, 6)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) That verb is formed from [[be-]] and [[treffen]].^(Kluge 2011|927)^(Pfeifer 1993) The simple verb is [[gmh|treffen]], [[goh|treffan]], [[osx|drepan]], from [[gem-pro|*drepaną|t=to strike]], the same verb as [[non|drepa|t=to strike, kill]] and [[ang|drepan|t=to strike, slay]].^(Kluge 2011|927)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge and Pfeifer find no certain cognates outside Germanic;^(Kluge 2011|927)^(Pfeifer 1993) the Duden compares [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=gadraban|t=to hew out]] and perhaps the Slavic group of [[ru|дробить|tr=drobitʹ|t=to break into pieces]].^(Duden 7 2020|870)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The revised Grimms' dictionary has the participle in 1572, in a psalm translation by Paul Schede: ''bin jůng gewest, vom alter itz betroffen'' (I was young, now overtaken by age).^(DWB2|5, 6) The verb ''betreffen'' is early New High German; it meant “to catch someone in the act” until the 19th century, and also “to befall someone” of misfortune.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “dismayed, taken aback” dates from the 18th century and grew out of ''betreffen'' “to befall”: an emotion could be the subject of the verb, as in a translation of ''Gil Blas'' of 1736, ''die Befremdung, so ihn mit einmal betraf'' (the astonishment that suddenly struck him).^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|870) A letter of 1775 in Lessing's correspondence speaks of a man who was ''betroffen'' on hearing that the guests had left, and Wieland, Goethe and Klinger used it of people stunned with fear or joy.^(DWB2|5, 6)^(DWB|1, 1718)

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+ Beside it the neutral sense “concerned, affected” followed ''betreffen'' “to concern”: Goethe wrote of ''das betroffene Individuum'', and today ''die Betroffenen'' are the people affected by a decision or a disaster.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|1, 1718) The abstract noun [[Betroffenheit]], frequent in Gottfried Keller, is today a vogue word for emotional concern.^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1572 – Paul Schede uses ''betroffen'' “overtaken” in a psalm.^(DWB2|5, 6)

+ * 16th century – The verb ''betreffen'' “to catch in the act” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1736 – ''betreffen'' with an emotion as subject, the source of “dismayed”.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – ''betroffen'' “dismayed, taken aback”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|870)

+ * 1775 – ''er war betroffen'' in a letter in Lessing's correspondence.^(DWB2|5, 6)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Dismayed, taken aback, moved by something sad or unpleasant: ''Nach der Nachricht schwiegen alle betroffen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Affected, [[m|en|concerned]]: ''die betroffenen Gemeinden''; as a noun, ''die Betroffenen'', the people affected.^(Wiktionary)^(DWB2|5, 6)^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Betroffenheit]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[betreffen]]

+ * [[treffen]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}