begrüßen German · revision 36135

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=11th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gmw-pro *grōtijan}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈɡʁyːsən/, [bəˈɡʁyːsn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''begrüßen''' (third-person singular present begrüßt, past tense begrüßte, past participle begrüßt, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|begrüezen]], [[inh|goh|bigruozen|t=to greet, address]], formed [[af|goh|bi-|gruozen]], the prefix [[be-]] added to [[grüßen]].^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler AHD)^(Wiktionary DE) Wiktionary sets up [[gmw-pro|*bigrōtijan]], with the cognates [[nl|begroeten]], [[fy|begroetsje]], [[nds|begröten]] and in English [[m|en|begreet]].^(Wiktionary)

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+ The base verb is [[m|goh|gruozen]], [[osx|grōtian]], from West Germanic [[m|gmw-pro|*grōtijan]].^(Kluge 2011|379) Its origin is unclear.^(Kluge 2011|379) Pfeifer derives it from [[gem-pro|*grōtjan|t=to make cry out]], a causative of the verb seen in [[got|𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽|tr=grētan|t=to weep]], probably of imitative origin, but Kluge finds that family too far off in meaning and considers instead a borrowing based on [[la|grātus|t=welcome, pleasing]], though Latin has no exact model.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|343)^(Kluge 2011|379)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bigruozen'' is found once, in an 11th-century gloss, meaning “to greet, address, speak to, call to oneself”.^(Köbler AHD) Middle High German ''begrüezen'', first in the ''Marienleben'' (1172–1190), meant “to greet, welcome” but also “to challenge” and, in law, “to summon, accuse”.^(Köbler MHD)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Like ''grüßen'', which in Old and Middle High German also meant “to challenge, attack”, the compound kept a hostile sense for a time;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Adelung 1793)^(Paul 2002) Adelung still records the ironic ''den Feind mit Kanonen begrüßen'' “to greet the enemy with cannon”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Adelung 1793)^(Paul 2002) Early New High German ''jemanden um etwas begrüßen'' meant “to ask someone for something”, still used by Goethe in ''Faust'' and in dialects; in Switzerland ''begrüßen'' still means to consult an authority before acting.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793)

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+ The transferred sense “to welcome an idea or decision, approve of it” is more recent and is now very common in political language: ''einen Entschluss begrüßen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – Old High German ''bigruozen'' appears in a gloss.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1172–1190 – Middle High German ''begrüezen'' in the ''Marienleben''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * Late 18th century – Adelung records the ironic ''den Feind mit Kanonen begrüßen'' and ''jemanden um etwas begrüßen'' “to ask”.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|greet]] or [[m|en|welcome]] someone; reflexive ''sich begrüßen'', to greet each other.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To welcome something as good, to [[m|en|approve]] of it: ''Die Gewerkschaft begrüßt den Vorschlag.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(Switzerland)'' To [[m|en|consult]] a person or authority for their opinion.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(dated)'' To ask someone for something, as in Goethe's ''Faust''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Begrüßung]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[grüßen]]

+ * [[Gruß]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}