bunt German · revision 36255

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=12th century|origins=la pungō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bʊnt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bunt''' (strong nominative masculine singular bunter, comparative bunter, superlative am buntesten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bunt|t=black and white, spotted]], probably [[bor|la|pūnctus|t=pricked, stitched]], the past participle of [[m|la|pungō|t=to prick]].^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014) It would first have been a monastery word for embroidery in black thread on a white ground, and would thus be a doublet of [[Punkt]].^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Kluge calls the derivation likely, Duden only possible.^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Duden 7 2014) Lexer cites Wackernagel's Latin source, supported by a variant [[m|gmh|bunct]] in a manuscript of Parzival, the Low German forms and the ⟨t⟩ kept in inflection,^(Lexer 1872|1, 383) while the Grimms derived it from [[binden]], “provided with bands, striped”, and rejected a Romance source.^(DWB|2, 525)

+

+ The same word is [[gml|bunt]] and [[dum|bont]], modern [[nl|bont]];^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary notes that Dutch has somewhat earlier records of the sense, but its form may point to a High German source, so that the direction of borrowing is unsettled.^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Middle High German ''bunt'' is first a noun for black-and-white fur, opposed to the plain grey ''grâ'': the Alexander of Lamprecht (about 1170) has the knights wear ''grâ unde bunt'', and the Nibelungenlied says that the warriors were given ''grâ unde bunt'' for clothes.^(DWB2|5, 1007)^(Paul 2002) As an adjective “black and white, piebald” it describes Feirefiz, the half-brother of Parzival with a spotted skin, in Wolfram's Parzival (about 1200–1210).^(DWB2|5, 1003)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 13th century ''bunt'' began to replace the older Middle High German ''vêch'' “many-coloured”, which died out in the 16th century.^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Paul 2002) The sense “many-coloured” arose in the 14th century and spread through Luther's Bible, where Jacob breeds spotted sheep.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|5, 1003) Dyers called every colour except black and white ''bunt'', and in heraldry it meant “striped red and white”.^(Adelung 1793|1, 1258)^(DWB2|5, 1003) Hungarian ''bonta'' “spotted” is recorded as early as 1321.^(LWP)

+

+ Figuratively the word came to mean “varied, mixed”, as in ''bunte Reihe'', a seating order in which men and women alternate, and then “disorderly, wild”: ''es zu bunt treiben'' is to go too far, and Goethe already wrote ''das wird mir zu bunt'', “that is too much for me”.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Bekannt wie ein bunter Hund'', “known everywhere”, goes back to the spotted animal coat.^(Adelung 1793|1, 1258) [[Buntmetall]], a non-ferrous heavy metal, is a 20th-century word.^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1170 – ''grâ unde bunt'' “grey and particoloured fur” in Lamprecht's Alexander.^(DWB2|5, 1007)

+ * c. 1200–1210 – Wolfram calls Feirefiz ''der bunte man''.^(DWB2|5, 1003)

+ * 13th century – ''bunt'' begins to replace ''vêch''.^(Kluge 2011|163)

+ * 14th century – The sense “many-coloured” appears.^(Kluge 2011|163)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1321 – Hungarian ''bonta'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 1522 – Luther writes of ''bundte schaff'', speckled sheep.^(DWB2|5, 1003)

+ * 20th century – ''Buntmetall'' is coined.^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|colourful|alt=Colourful]], [[m|en|multicoloured]]; having colours other than white, grey and black: ''ein bunter Schal'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''bunte Kühe'', spotted cows.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Mixed, [[m|en|varied]]: ''ein buntes Programm'';^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''ein bunter Abend'', an evening of mixed entertainment.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Disorderly, confused: ''Die Papiere lagen bunt durcheinander.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' In ''es wird jemandem zu bunt'', something becomes too much for someone, and ''es zu bunt treiben'', to go too far.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[kunterbunt]]

+ * [[quietschbunt]]

+ * [[Buntmetall]]

+ * [[Buntspecht]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Punkt]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}