oberer German · revision 36261

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *upero-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈoːbəʁɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''oberer''' (attributive only; superlative ''oberster'')^(Wiktionary)

+ In modern German the adjective is used only with inflectional endings (''der obere'', ''ein oberer''), not in a bare form ''ober''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|obere]], [[inh|goh|obaro|t=upper, higher]], a comparative formed with an r-suffix from the adverb and preposition [[ob]].^(Kluge 2011|663)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|6, 1101) The same formation is [[osx|ovaro]], [[gml|ȫver]], [[dum|overe]] and [[ang|uferra]], and Gothic has the adverb [[m|got|𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐍉|tr=ufarō|t=above]].^(EWA|6, 1101)^(AWB|7, 16)^(Pfeifer 1993) Outside Germanic it corresponds to [[sa|उपर|tr=úpara|t=lower, later]], [[ae|upara-|t=upper]], [[grc|ὕπερος|tr=hýperos|t=pestle]] and [[la|superus|t=upper]], which together point to a comparative [[ine-pro|*upero-]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|663)

+

+ Old High German also had [[m|goh|obarōro]], with a second comparative ending, from about 800, and the superlative [[m|goh|obarōsto]], the source of modern [[oberst]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''obaro'' is first recorded in glosses of the third quarter of the 8th century, then in Otfrid and Notker, meaning “upper, higher, superior”.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|6, 1101) Notker uses the plural ''diu obarun'' for “the upper spheres” and speaks of ''diu obera Ierusalem'', the heavenly Jerusalem.^(EWA|6, 1101)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adjective was early transferred from position to pitch and to rank.^(Paul 2002) Used as a noun, the plural ''die oberen'' named people of higher rank or standing in Middle High German, and ''der Obere'' “superior” is recorded from the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) A 15th-century form ''ain ober'', which kept the endingless Middle High German nominative, gave the playing card [[Ober]], ranking below the king, from the early 16th century;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Paul dates it to 1517.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The waiter called ''Ober'' is a much later clipping of ''Oberkellner'' (late 19th century).^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|663) The feminine [[Oberin]], the head of a convent or of a nursing staff, appears at the end of the 18th century.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Because the ending could be dropped, the adjective fused easily with a following noun: Middle High German ''daz ober gewant'' became ''Obergewand'', and ''diu obere hant'' “the hand that wins” became [[Oberhand]], now mostly in ''die Oberhand gewinnen''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020) The substantivised superlative ''der Oberste'' was shortened to the military rank [[Oberst]] (1565), sometimes in the old-fashioned form ''Obrist''.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''obaro'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|663)

+ * c. 800 – The double comparative ''obarōro'' is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 15th century – ''ain ober'' names a person of higher rank.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''der Obere'' “superior” is in use.^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * 1517 – First record of ''Ober'' as a playing card.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1565 – First record of the rank ''Oberst''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * Late 18th century – The feminine ''Oberin'' appears.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|upper|alt=Upper]]; situated above another or others: ''die obere Schublade'' “the top drawer”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Nearer the [[m|en|source]] of a river: ''am oberen Main'' “on the upper Main”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Higher in rank or in a [[m|en|hierarchy]]; [[m|en|superior]]: ''die oberen Gerichte'' “the higher courts”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Facing away from the underside: ''die obere Fläche des Bretts'' “the top face of the board”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Ober]]

+ * [[Obere]]

+ * [[Oberin]]

+ * [[oberst]]

+ * [[Oberst]]

+ * [[Oberhand]]

+ * [[Obrigkeit]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[über]]

+ * [[oben]]

+ * [[ob]]

+ * [[en|over]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ As a noun, ''der Obere'' (inflected like an adjective) is someone high in a hierarchy, and in particular a cleric in charge of a monastery or order.^(Duden GWDS 1999) A preposition ''ober'' “above, over”, with the dative, survives in Austria and is otherwise regional and dated;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Kluge 2011|663) Kluge treats it as the Low and Central German counterpart of [[über]], recorded from the 18th century.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Kluge 2011|663)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}