Berg German · revision 36155

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 800, Old High German glosses and Tatian|origins=ine-pro *bʰérǵʰos}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bɛrk/, [bɛɐ̯k]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Berg''' ''m'' (genitive Berges or Bergs, plural Berge)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|berc]], [[inh|goh|berg]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bergaz|t=mountain]].^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|1, 553) The same word is [[osx|berg]], [[ofs|berch]], [[ang|beorg]], whose descendant is the English [[m|en|barrow]] “burial mound”, and [[non|bjarg]] “rock”;^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|1, 553) Gothic has it only in the derivative [[got|𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌷𐌴𐌹|tr=bairgahei|t=hill country]], its usual word for a mountain being [[m|got|𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌿𐌽𐌹|tr=fairguni]].^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Kroonen 2013)^(EWA|1, 553)

+

+ It continues [[ine-pro|*bʰérǵʰos|t=height]], also found in [[ae|barəzah-|t=height, mountain]], [[cu|брѣгъ|tr=brěgŭ|t=bank, slope]], [[ru|берег|tr=béreg|t=shore]] and [[sga|brí|t=hill]].^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Orel 2003)^(Duden 7 2014|162) It belongs to a verb meaning “to rise, grow” in [[hit|parkiya-]], and to adjectives for “high” such as [[m|hit|parku-]]; the same root gives the names of the Burgundians, the Brigantes, Bregenz and Brigitte.^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Duden 7 2014|162) Pfeifer derives the root from [[ine-pro|*bʰer-|t=to carry, lift]], as does the revised Grimm.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 1021) Kluge and Pfeifer explain the velar of the Slavic word by Slavic behaving here like a centum language, rather than by a borrowing from Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|110)^(Pfeifer 1993) [[Burg]] is probably an ablaut form of the same word.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|162)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''berg'' appears in glosses from about 765 and in the Tatian of about 830, where the city ''ubar berg gisezzitu'' “set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14) cannot be hidden.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|4, 1021) Notker (before 1022) and the other Old High German texts use it for a mountain or hill, and ''obenahtīgēr berg'' for its summit.^(Schützeichel 2012|46)^(DWB2|4, 1021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Early New High German used ''berg'' for any rise from a hill to high mountains, and also for mining and its districts, a mine, barren rock, a quarry, a salt mine and a wood.^(FWB) The mining senses come from the fact that ore and coal were at first dug only in mountains: hence old compounds such as [[Bergwerk]], [[Bergbau]] and [[Bergmann]], which is first recorded as a trade name in Goslar in 1359.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2014|162) Kluge dates ''Bergbau'' to 1624, in the Erzgebirge.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The figurative sense “huge quantity” (''Berge von Akten'') is old, and is now productive in compounds like ''Bücherberg'' or ''Butterberg''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden Universal 2007) Phrases go back to Luther (''über alle Berge'', ''über den Berg sein'') and to Terence's ''montes auri'' (''goldene Berge versprechen'').^(Paul 2002) German mining words with ''Berg'' were borrowed into Czech and Slovak, as ''perk'' “barren rock”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''berg'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * c. 830 – The Tatian uses ''berg'' in Matthew 5:14.^(DWB2|4, 1021)

+ * 1359 – ''Bergmann'' is first recorded as the name of a trade, in Goslar.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 14th century – ''bergeht'' “mountainous” appears, the ancestor of ''bergig''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1624 – ''Bergbau'' is first recorded, in the Erzgebirge.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1800 – ''Bergsteiger'' “mountaineer” is formed.^(Duden 7 2014|162)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|mountain]] or [[m|en|hill]], a large natural rise of the ground: ''Wir sind auf den höchsten Berg der Gegend gestiegen.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(plural)'' Mountains, a mountain range: ''Im Sommer fahren sie in die Berge.''^(Duden Universal 2007)

+ # A large [[m|en|heap]] or quantity of something: ''ein Berg von Wäsche''.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(mining, plural)'' Barren rock without ore.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(FWB)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bergig]]

+ * [[Gebirge]]

+ * [[Bergbau]]

+ * [[Bergmann]]

+ * [[Bergwerk]]

+ * [[Bergsteiger]]

+ * [[bergab]]

+ * [[bergauf]]

+ * [[Eisberg]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Burg]]

+ * [[bergen]]

+ * [[en|barrow]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Mit etwas hinter dem Berg halten'' “to keep something back” is said to come from military use, from troops or guns kept out of the enemy's sight behind a hill.^(Duden 7 2014|163)^(Duden Universal 2007) ''Über den Berg sein'' is to be past the worst, and ''über alle Berge sein'' to be long gone.^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Paul 2002) ''Wenn der Berg nicht zum Propheten kommt, muss der Prophet zum Berge gehen'' goes back to an oriental source.^(Duden Universal 2007)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}