Fest German · revision 36154

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=13th century, Konrad von Würzburg|origins=la fēstus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fɛst/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Fest''' ''n'' (genitive Festes or Fests, plural Feste)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|fest]] (also feminine [[m|gmh|feste]]), [[bor|la|fēstum|t=feast day]], borrowed in the 13th century.^(Kluge 2011|289)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|265) The Latin noun is the neuter of [[m|la|fēstus|t=festive, devoted to religious rites]], which originally described days set apart for religious ceremonies and is related to [[m|la|fēriae|t=holidays]] (see [[Feier]] and [[Ferien]]) and [[m|la|fānum|t=sanctuary]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|265) The Latin plural gave [[fro|feste]], which influenced the Middle High German feminine.^(Kluge 2011|289) The word is not related to the adjective [[fest]] “firm”, and the Grimms stress that it was pronounced with an open /ɛ/, unlike that adjective in their time.^(DWB|3, 1561)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Grimms found the earliest instances in Konrad von Würzburg's ''Trojanerkrieg'' (1281–87), where a feast is held, and the revised dictionary quotes it for a solemn festival of Pallas.^(DWB|3, 1561)^(DWB2|9, 386)^(Köbler MHD) In Middle High German it meant a feast day, first of the Christian calendar.^(DWB2|9, 386)^(Lexer 1872)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Before the borrowing, Old High German used ''tuld'' and Middle High German ''hôchgezît'' for a festival.^(DWB|3, 1561) As ''Fest'' spread in the general sense of a celebration, ''Hochzeit'' narrowed to the wedding feast, and the southern word ''Dult'' was pushed back to the meaning “fair”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Paul notes that ''Fest'' became the narrower word for the event, beside the broader ''Feier''.^(Paul 2002)

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+ Since Middle High German it has been used both of church feasts (''Osterfest'', ''Weihnachtsfest'') and of secular celebrations;^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 1561) Goethe's ''Saure Wochen, frohe Feste'' is often quoted.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|3, 1561) The adjective ''festlich'' is first recorded in Henisch in 1616.^(Paul 2002) The French form ''Fete'' has been used since the 18th century, now mostly by young people.^(Paul 2002) German ''Fest'' was borrowed into Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, and into English as [[m|en|fest]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1281–87 – Konrad von Würzburg uses ''fest'' in the ''Trojanerkrieg''.^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB|3, 1561)

+ * 1544 – Luther writes of the feast of the Circumcision of Christ.^(DWB2|9, 386)

+ * 1616 – Henisch records ''festlich''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 18th century – The French form ''Fete'' comes into use.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|celebration]], [[m|en|party]] or festival, a (large) social event: ''Zum Jubiläum gab der Verein ein großes Fest.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A church [[m|en|feast]], one or two consecutive high holy days such as Christmas, Easter or Whitsun: ''Frohes Fest!''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[festlich]]

+ * [[Festlichkeit]]

+ * [[Festtag]]

+ * [[Festspiel]]

+ * [[Volksfest]]

+ * [[Weihnachtsfest]]

+ * [[Osterfest]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Feier]]

+ * [[Ferien]]

+ * [[Fete]]

+ * [[en|feast]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Man muss die Feste feiern, wie sie fallen'', “one must celebrate feasts as they come”, means one should not let a good occasion pass.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Colloquially and jokingly ''es ist mir ein Fest'' means “it is a great pleasure”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}