vergeben German · revision 36251

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *fragebaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fərˈɡeːbən/, /fɛr-/, [fɐˈɡeː.bm̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''vergeben''' (class 5 strong, third-person singular present vergibt, past tense vergab, past participle vergeben, past subjunctive vergäbe, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|vergëben]], [[inh|goh|firgeban]], [[inh|gem-pro|*fragebaną|t=to give away, grant; to forgive]], a prefixed form of [[geben]] with [[ver-]].^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB|25, 381) The same verb is [[got|𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽|tr=fragiban|t=to grant, forgive]], [[osx|fargeban]], [[ang|forgifan]], the source of [[en|forgive]], [[nl|vergeven]] and [[is|fyrirgefa]].^(DWB|25, 381)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary suggests that the sense “to forgive” may be a calque of [[la-lat|perdōnō]], or the reverse.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The simple verb [[m|gem-pro|*gebaną|t=to give]] has no direct cognate outside Germanic.^(Kluge 2011|337) It is usually compared with [[ine-pro|*gʰabʰ-|t=to seize, take]], as in [[la|habeō|t=to have, hold]] and [[sga|gaibid|t=takes]], but neither the vowel nor the meaning fit well.^(Kluge 2011|337)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''firgeban'' is first recorded in glosses of 765 and is frequent in the Old High German texts, meaning “to give away, grant, entrust, forgive”, and also “to poison”.^(Köbler AHD) The Wessobrunn Prayer asks God: ''forgip mir in dînô ganâdâ rehta galaupa'' (“grant me in your grace true faith”), and the Old Saxon ''Heliand'' has Christ say ''ik fargibu thî himiles slutilôs'' (“I give you the keys of heaven”).^(DWB|25, 381)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The original sense “to give away” survives in particular uses: offices, posts, contracts and prizes are ''vergeben'', and a daughter who is engaged or married is ''schon vergeben''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Sich etwas vergeben'' is “to compromise one's dignity”, with a dative of what is harmed.^(Paul 2002) The commonest sense is “to forgive”, already Old High German;^(Paul 2002) Paul explains it as remitting what one could claim, as in Luther's ''Vnd vergib vns vnsere Schulde / wie wir vnsern Schüldigern vergeben'' (Matthew 6:12).^(Paul 2002) The noun [[Vergebung]] is late Middle High German.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ From late Middle High German ''vergeben'' with ''vergift'' (“to give poison”) came “to poison”, still used by Lessing and Goethe but now obsolete.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) The participle meant “in vain” already in Middle High German, from “given away, got for nothing”; from it came [[vergebens]] (14th century).^(Paul 2002)^(Kluge 2011|952) In card games ''sich vergeben'' is to misdeal, and in sport a player ''vergibt'' a chance when failing to score.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(DWB|25, 388)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 14th century – ''vergebens'' “in vain”, from the participle.^(Kluge 2011|952)

+ * Late Middle High German – ''Vergebung'' “forgiveness”, and the sense “to poison”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ * 1915 – The noun ''Vergabe'' “award, allocation” is entered in the Duden.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(elevated)'' To [[m|en|forgive]] someone something: ''Ich habe ihm den Streit längst vergeben.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To [[m|en|award]] or [[m|en|allocate]] a post, a contract, a prize or the like: ''Die Stadt vergab den Auftrag an eine Baufirma aus der Region.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''sich (Dativ) etwas vergeben'': to damage one's standing or dignity.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(sport)'' To waste a chance to score: ''Der Stürmer vergab in der letzten Minute.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(card games)'' ''sich vergeben'': to [[m|en|misdeal]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Taken, not free;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''(colloquial)'' already engaged or in a relationship: ''Tut mir leid, am Freitagabend bin ich schon vergeben.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Vergebung]]

+ * [[vergebens]]

+ * [[vergeblich]]

+ * [[Vergabe]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[geben]]

+ * [[en|forgive]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}