prüfen German · revision 36138

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=end of the 11th century, Millstätter Genesis|origins=la probus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpʁyːfn̩/, /ˈpʁyːfən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prüfen''' (third-person singular present prüft, past tense prüfte, past participle geprüft, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|prüeven]], also spelled [[m|gmh|brüeven]] and [[m|gmh|pruoven]], [[bor|fro|prover|t=to prove, test]], which continues [[la|probō|t=to test, examine; to approve]].^(Kluge 2011|729)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Paul 2002) The Latin verb is formed from the adjective [[m|la|probus|t=good, upright]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|657) Kluge and Paul place the borrowing in the 12th century.^(Kluge 2011|729)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Pfeifer and Duden argue that the word came in earlier than its first records suggest: the diphthong of the Middle High German verb, with the past tense [[m|gmh|pruovte]] without umlaut, points to an early loan from [[la-vul|*prōvō]] with a long vowel, the form behind [[it|provare]] and the Old French verb.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|657) Wiktionary sets up [[gmw-pro|*prōfijan]] on the same grounds, but notes that the late attestation favours a loan from Old French, perhaps through [[dum|proeven]], which would make the umlaut analogical.^(Wiktionary) Middle Low German, Old Norse and Old English took the word directly from Latin.^(Paul 2002) The same word is [[nl|proeven]], [[en|prove]], [[sv|pröva]] and [[is|prófa]].^(Kluge 2011|729) Other words from the Latin verb came into German later and remain recognisable as loans: [[Probe]], [[probieren]] and [[approbiert]].^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Duden 7 2020|657)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Grimms' dictionary finds the verb first in the ''Millstätter Genesis'', at the end of the 11th century.^(DWB|13, 2182) In Middle High German it had a wide range of senses: to consider and weigh up, to perceive, to prove or show, to reckon and estimate, to test, and even to bring about or cause.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|657)^(FWB)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Most of the old senses have died out.^(Adelung 1793) Adelung lists “to approve”, “to prove”, “to feel, experience” and “to consider” as obsolete in his time, though Upper German still said that one had ''geprüft'' the cold, meaning felt it; he quotes a book on nature of 1483 for the sense “to perceive”.^(Adelung 1793) Already in Middle High German the verbal noun [[Prüfung]] was formed, and the agent noun [[Prüfer]] is also old.^(Kluge 2011|729)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The word long belonged to the north and centre of the German-speaking area.^(DWB|13, 2182) The Upper German dialects used ''probieren'' and ''proben'' instead, and knew ''prüfen'' “to examine” only from school language;^(DWB|13, 2182) Luther's ''prüfen'' was replaced in southern Bible printings by ''probieren'', ''bewären'' or ''versuchen''.^(DWB|13, 2182) A [[Prüfstein]] was first a touchstone for testing the fineness of gold and silver;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Luther already uses it figuratively, of wisdom as a hard touchstone.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) [[Prüfling]], a candidate in an examination, appears in school use in 1847.^(Paul 2002) Schiller's line ''Drum prüfe, wer sich ewig bindet'' (“so let whoever binds himself for ever test first”), from the ''Lied von der Glocke'', became a winged word.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Pfeffer and Cannon record English ''prove'' from 1833 in the German sense “to test a medicine on a healthy person”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * End of the 11th century – First record, in the ''Millstätter Genesis''.^(DWB|13, 2182)

+ * 12th century – Kluge and Paul date the borrowing from Old French.^(Kluge 2011|729)^(Paul 2002)

+ * 13th century – The verbal noun ''prüefunge'' is formed.^(Kluge 2011|729)

+ * 16th century – ''Prüfstein'', a touchstone for gold and silver, is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1847 – ''Prüfling'' is first used in schools.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|test]] a device, material or product for its quality or working order: ''Der Techniker prüft die Bremsen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|check]] a document or a matter for correctness: ''Die Beamtin prüfte unsere Ausweise.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To look carefully at an offer to see whether it is worth taking.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To try to find out the state or properties of something, as by tasting or touching: ''Sie prüfte mit der Hand, ob das Bad warm genug war.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To observe or test a person closely in order to judge them;^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''sich prüfen'', to [[m|en|examine]] oneself.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # To examine a pupil or candidate by questions or set tasks: ''Morgen werden wir in Chemie geprüft.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(formal)'' Of fate or God, to [[m|en|try]] someone with hardship: ''Der Krieg hat die Familie hart geprüft.''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sports)'' To force an opponent to show all their skill.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Prüfung]]

+ * [[abprüfen]]

+ * [[nachprüfen]]

+ * [[überprüfen]]

+ * [[Prüfer]]

+ * [[Prüfling]]

+ * [[Prüfstein]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Probe]]

+ * [[probieren]]

+ * [[proben]]

+ * [[en|prove]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}