Richter German · revision 36136

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈʁɪçtɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Richter''' ''m'' (genitive Richters, plural Richter, feminine Richterin)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|rihtære]] (also [[m|gmh|rihter]]), [[inh|goh|rihtāri|t=judge, ruler]], formed [[af|goh|rihten|-āri|t1=to judge]]: an agent noun of the verb [[richten]] in its sense “to sit in judgement”.^(Kluge 2011|766)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same formation is [[gml|richtere]], [[dum|rechter]], [[nl|rechter]] and the rare [[ang|rihtere]]; [[non|réttari]] appears only from the middle of the 13th century.^(DWB|14, 888)^(Wiktionary) The Grimms' dictionary notes that the word is rare in the older Germanic languages, which mostly used other words for a judge, such as [[got|𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌰|tr=staua]], [[m|non|dómari]] and [[m|goh|tuomo]].^(DWB|14, 888)

+

+ That verb continues [[m|goh|rihten]] and [[gem-pro|*rehtjan|t=to make straight]], a factitive of the adjective [[recht]]; its cognates include [[got|𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=garaihtjan|t=to rectify]] and [[m|ang|rihtan]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) Köbler traces the family to [[ine-pro|*reǵ-|t=straight; to direct]].^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''rihtāri'' is recorded from glosses of about 765 and in Tatian, Otloh's prayer and Notker, meaning “judge” but also “lord, ruler of the world, guide”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|260) Middle High German ''rihtære'' could be a leader, an ordainer, an overlord, a judge and also an executioner or a court officer.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The modern sense, a person appointed to decide legal disputes, narrowed the older one of ruler and guide.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Around 1800 Adelung also knew ''Richter'' for a tool that fixes the extent or direction of something, but only in compounds, and for anyone who judges people or things, as in ''Kunstrichter'' “critic” and ''Splitterrichter'' “fault-finder”;^(Adelung 1793) God is ''der höchste Richter''.^(Adelung 1793) The adjective [[richterlich]] dates from the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ Proverbs on the judge are old: ''der Richter darf kein Vetter sein'' “the judge may not be a cousin” and ''Richter sollen zwei gleiche Ohren haben'' “judges should have two equal ears”.^(DWB|14, 888) The office of village or community head was also called ''Richter'', which is why the surname is so widespread; the first bearer is recorded in 1388 in the Saxon Vogtland.^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''rihtāri'' appears in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|766)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1388 – First record of ''Richter'' as a family name, in the Vogtland.^(Wiktionary DE)

+ * 16th century – First record of the adjective ''richterlich''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * Late 18th century – Adelung records compounds such as ''Kunstrichter'' and ''Splitterrichter''.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|judge]]: a person appointed by the state to administer [[m|en|justice]] and decide legal disputes;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''vorsitzender Richter'', presiding judge.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Anyone who passes judgement on others: ''sich zum Richter über jemanden aufwerfen'', to set oneself up as someone's judge.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Adelung 1793)

+ # ''(plural)'' The Book of [[m|en|Judges]], a book of the Old Testament.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Richterin]]

+ * [[richterlich]]

+ * [[Schiedsrichter]]

+ * [[Scharfrichter]]

+ * [[Kunstrichter]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[richten]]

+ * [[recht]]

+ * [[Gericht]]

+ * [[Richtung]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Richter'' is one of the commonest German family names, the 14th in Germany, because the word once also named the head of a village or community.^(Wiktionary DE)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}