geschehen German · revision 36112

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000, Notker (giskehan)|origins=gem-pro *skehaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɡəˈʃeːən/, /ɡəˈʃeːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''geschehen''' (class 5 strong, third-person singular present geschieht, past tense geschah, past participle geschehen, past subjunctive geschähe, auxiliary sein)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|geschehen]], [[inh|goh|giskehan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*gaskehan]], a prefixed form of the West Germanic strong verb [[m|gmw-pro|*skehan]].^(Kluge 2011|352)^(Wiktionary) The simple verb survives in [[goh|scehan]] and [[gmh|schehen|t=to hurry, chase, rush]], and the same verb is [[ofs|skiā|t=to happen]], [[ang|scēon|t=to go quickly, fly; to happen]] and [[dum|ghescien]], now [[nl|geschieden]] with an inserted ⟨d⟩.^(Kluge 2011|352)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ Kluge points to the weak Middle High German verb for “to hurry” and to [[m|goh|sciht|t=flight]]: the verb was transferred from a verb for running, so its first sense was “to run its course”.^(Kluge 2011|352) Kroonen also takes [[gem-pro|*skehaną]] as meaning first “to move quickly”, a sense that turned into “to happen” at an early stage.^(Kroonen 2013) Outside Germanic Kluge and Kroonen compare [[sga|scuichid|t=goes away, ceases]] and the Slavic verb for jumping, [[ru|скочить|tr=skočítʹ|t=to jump]];^(Kluge 2011|352)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer adds, probably, [[lt|šókti|t=to jump]] with a different initial.^(Kluge 2011|352)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Wiktionary reconstructs [[ine-pro|*skek-|t=to move quickly, jump]].^(Wiktionary) The noun [[Geschichte]] is formed from it, and [[schicken]] belongs to the simple verb.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|333)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The simple verb ''scehan'' occurs in the ''Hildebrandslied'';^(Schützeichel 2012|286)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer dates it to the 9th century.^(Schützeichel 2012|286)^(Pfeifer 1993) The prefixed ''giskehan'' appears about 1000 in Notker, in the glosses and in Williram, meaning “to happen, take place, befall, be granted to someone, come about”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|286) Kluge dates it to the 11th century.^(Kluge 2011|352)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Duden explains the present sense as coming from “to go fast, occur suddenly”.^(Duden 7 2014|333) In Middle and Early New High German the verb also meant “to be done, carried out”, of actions, which led to phrases where ''geschehen'' stands for an action: ''jm. geschieht die flucht'' “someone flees”.^(FWB)^(Köbler MHD) Only strong forms are recorded in Old High German.^(DWB|5, 3838)

+

+ The third person singular was ''geschicht'' in Early New High German and survived in archaic literary use into the 19th century.^(Paul 2002) Luther's ''Dein Wille geschehe'' (Matthew 6:10) is one of several biblical phrases with an abstract subject.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Geschehen]] goes back to Middle High German, and Kant used it for coming into being after not being.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB|5, 3845)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 9th century – The simple verb ''skehan'' “to roam, hurry” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * about 1000 – Old High German ''giskehan'' appears in Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1385 – Aachen ''geschien'' in the city accounts.^(DWB|5, 3838)

+ * 16th century – Luther's ''Dein Wille geschehe''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – The old present ''geschicht'' still occurs in archaic literary style.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|happen]], [[m|en|occur]], take place: ''Gestern Abend ist an der Kreuzung ein Unfall geschehen.'' The saying ''geschehen ist geschehen'' means that what is done cannot be undone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be done, carried out: ''Bis Freitag muss mit dem Antrag etwas geschehen.'';^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''gern geschehen!'' is a polite reply to thanks, “you're welcome”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To happen to someone, [[m|en|befall]]: ''Den Kindern ist bei dem Sturz nichts geschehen.'' ''Das geschieht ihm recht'' means “it serves him right”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In ''es ist um jemanden geschehen'': someone is lost or ruined, or has fallen hopelessly in love;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''es ist um etwas geschehen'': something is gone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Geschehen]]

+ * [[Geschehnis]]

+ * [[ungeschehen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Geschichte]]

+ * [[schicken]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}