Hof German · revision 36151

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=early 9th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *hufą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /hoːf/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Hof''' ''m'' (genitive Hofes or Hofs, plural Höfe, diminutive Höfchen n)^(Wiktionary)

+ The plural was originally without umlaut, which is why place names such as ''Königshofen'' keep the old dative plural.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|hof]], [[inh|goh|hof]], [[inh|gem-pro|*hufą]].^(Kluge 2011|420)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|hof]], [[ofs|hof|t=court, yard]], [[ang|hof|t=house, hall]] and [[non|hof|t=temple]];^(Kluge 2011|420)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|4, 1085) Gothic has no record of it.^(Kluge 2011|420)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|4, 1085)

+

+ Its origin is not certain.^(Duden 7 2020|373)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Kluge compares [[la|cavum aedium|t=courtyard]], literally “hollow of the house”, and a Greek gloss word for wooden dwellings with an enclosure, and thinks that it may first have named an estate or sanctuary on a hill, which would connect it with [[Hobel]] and [[Hügel]].^(Kluge 2011|420) Pfeifer and Duden likewise derive it from a root [[ine-pro|*kewp-|t=to bend, arch]], in the sense “rise, hill”, pointing to dialectal [[no|hov|t=hillock]] and the Old Norse sense “temple”; another view starts from a wall of wattle and clay, an enclosed space.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|373) Kroonen reconstructs [[ine-pro|*kHúp-o-]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''hof'' is recorded from the early 9th century in glosses, and in the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker; it rendered Latin ''area'', ''atrium'', ''aula'', ''curtis'' and ''palatium'' and meant a forecourt, a farmstead or estate, a seat and a ruler's court.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|4, 1085)^(Schützeichel 2012|155) The compound ''hovawart'' “farm dog” is older, from the 8th century.^(Kluge 2011|420)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense “princely court”, already found in Old High German and Old Saxon and clear in Middle High German, developed under the influence of [[fro|cort]] and Medieval Latin ''curtis''; most of the derivatives, such as [[höfisch]], [[höflich]] and [[hofieren]], start from it.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|420)^(Duden 7 2020|373) ''Höfisch'' is a loan translation of Old French ''corteis'', and the phrase ''jemandem den Hof machen'' is a translation of [[fr|faire la cour]].^(Duden 7 2020|373)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ Since the 14th century, first in Konrad von Megenberg, the word has also meant the halo round the sun or moon, probably from the idea of an enclosure.^(Kluge 2011|420)^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872) In Low German it meant a garden, an enclosed piece of land, as in ''Baumhof'' or ''Kirchhof''.^(DWB|10, 1654)^(Adelung 1793|2, 1232) It was also transferred to institutions: ''Gasthof'', ''Gerichtshof'', ''Bahnhof'', ''Schlachthof''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – The compound ''hovawart'' “farm dog” is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|420)

+ * Early 9th century – Old High German ''hof'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 1150 – Middle High German ''hof'' in the ''Kaiserchronik''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 1350 – Konrad von Megenberg speaks of the ''hof'' of the moon and sun.^(Paul 2002)^(Lexer 1872)

+ * 1642 – ''Hofmeister'' is first recorded in the sense “private tutor”.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|yard]] or [[m|en|courtyard]], an open space enclosed by buildings, walls or a fence: ''Die Kinder spielen im Hof.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|farm]], with its buildings and land: ''Sie hat den Hof ihrer Eltern übernommen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The [[m|en|court]] of a ruler, his residence and the people around him: ''am Hof des Kaisers''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A [[m|en|halo]] round the sun or moon; a ring of different colour round something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gehöft]]

+ * [[höfisch]]

+ * [[höflich]]

+ * [[hofieren]]

+ * [[Höfling]]

+ * [[Bauernhof]]

+ * [[Bahnhof]]

+ * [[Friedhof]]

+ * [[Hinterhof]]

+ * [[Hofmeister]]

+ * [[Hofnarr]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hübsch]]

+ * [[Hügel]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Jemandem den Hof machen'' is to court someone, originally the attentive behaviour of courtiers towards their prince.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2020|373) ''Hof halten'' is said of a ruler holding court, and jokingly of anyone surrounded by admirers.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}