behaupten German · revision 36183

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=14th century, legal language|origins=goh houbit}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈhaʊ̯ptən/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''behaupten''' (third-person singular present behauptet, past tense behauptete, past participle behauptet, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|behoubeten|t=to prove, confirm]], a prefixed form of [[m|gmh|houbeten|t=to acknowledge as head; to regard oneself as head]], formed from [[m|gmh|houbet|t=head, chief, lord]] ([[Haupt]]).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014)^(DWB2|4, 669) That noun continues [[goh|houbit|t=head, chief, leader]].^(EWA|4, 1168) Kluge takes it to belong, probably, to that noun in the sense “lord”, so that the verb first meant “to prove oneself master (of something)”.^(Kluge 2011|103)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) Middle Low German had the same verb, [[gml|behôveden]].^(DWB2|4, 669)

+

+ The derivation from the noun was not always accepted: Adelung thought the image obscure and preferred to see the verb as an intensive of [[m|de|behaben|t=to hold fast]],^(Adelung 1793|1, 812) while the Grimms rejected that explanation as impossible on the evidence of the sounds and pictured the mastering of a horse or a man by the head.^(DWB|1, 1330)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A single 13th-century record of Middle High German ''behoubeten'' means “to behead”, of John the Baptist, and has no successors.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 669) The word that survived belongs to the language of the courts from the 14th century: “to prove, confirm, make good (a claim)”.^(Kluge 2011|103)^(Pfeifer 1993) A Middle Low German record of 1355 says that a claimant shall ''behoveden'' his better right with six knights and six squires.^(DWB2|4, 669)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the legal sense “to make good a cause, win a case” came, early in the 16th century, the military sense “to defend successfully, hold”, still alive in ''das Feld behaupten'' and the reflexive ''sich behaupten'' “to hold one's own”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|103)^(Paul 2002) The Grimms noted that Geiler von Kaysersberg and Luther avoid the word and that it became general only in the 17th century, perhaps spreading from Switzerland, where Maaler recorded it in 1561 in senses such as “to carry one's point, win one's case”.^(DWB|1, 1330)

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+ Through phrases like ''eine Meinung behaupten'' “to defend an opinion” it reached the modern sense “to declare (something) to be true”, in use from the 17th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014) In the 18th century it came to mean “to present something unproven as fact”, as in Kant, and in reported speech it often implies doubt about what is said.^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Behauptung]] is recorded from the end of the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – An isolated Middle High German ''behoubeten'' means “to behead”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 669)

+ * 14th century – The verb appears in legal language, “to prove, make good”.^(Kluge 2011|103)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+ * 1355 – Middle Low German ''behoveden'' “to prove (a right)” in a legal record.^(DWB2|4, 669)

+ * Early 16th century – Military sense “to defend successfully”.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1561 – Maaler's Swiss dictionary records ''behaupten'' “to carry one's point, win”.^(DWB|1, 1330)

+ * Late 16th century – The noun ''Behauptung'' appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 17th century – The word becomes general, and the sense “to state an opinion” appears.^(DWB|1, 1330)^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|claim]], [[m|en|assert]]: to state firmly, or to present something unproven as certain: ''Sie behauptet, er habe angerufen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|maintain]], keep or defend successfully: ''seine Stellung behaupten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(reflexive)'' ''sich behaupten'': to hold one's own, to stand one's ground against resistance.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(reflexive, sport)'' To win: ''Die Gäste behaupteten sich mit 2 : 1.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Behauptung]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[enthaupten]]

+ * [[überhaupt]]

+ * [[Haupt]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}