Bauer German · revision 36262

+ {{homograph|1|birdcage}}

+

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbaʊ̯ɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Bauer''' ''n or m'' (genitive Bauers, plural Bauer)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The birdcage is [[inh|gmh|būr]], [[inh|goh|būr|t=house, chamber]], [[inh|gem-pro|*būrą|t=dwelling, chamber]].^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|būr|t=chamber, dwelling]], [[non|búr|t=women's room, storehouse]] and [[ang|būr|t=hut, chamber]], the source of [[en|bower]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Kluge 2011|97) It is formed with the suffix [[m|ine-pro|*-ros]] from the root of [[bauen]] in its old sense “to dwell”;^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Kroonen 2013)^(DWB2|4, 304) Kroonen gives the pre-form [[ine-pro|*bʰuh₂-ro-]].^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Kroonen 2013)^(DWB2|4, 304) Kluge thinks it probably a purely Germanic formation, though the gloss of Hesychius [[grc|βύριον|tr=búrion|t=house, room]], perhaps a Messapic word, is similar.^(Kluge 2011|97)^(DWB2|4, 304)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''būr'' meant “house”; it occurs in the ''Hildebrandslied'' and in glosses, among them an 8th-century gloss for a storeroom.^(Schützeichel 2012|64)^(DWB2|4, 304) In Middle High German it is already narrowed to “birdcage”, as in Berthold von Holle's ''Crane'' (1250–60).^(Duden 7 2020|133)^(DWB2|4, 304)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was masculine;^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|1, 754) Paul notes the neuter from the 17th century, in Henisch, and Adelung gives ''das Bauer'' while recording the masculine in Low German dialects.^(Paul 2002)^(Adelung 1793|1, 754) Early New High German still used it also for a mountain hut, a charnel house, a cage for animals and a prison.^(FWB) Henisch has the proverb ''besser ein vogel im bawer, dann tausent in der luft'' (“better one bird in the cage than a thousand in the air”).^(DWB|1, 1175) The older sense “dwelling” survives in place names such as Benediktbeuern, Blaubeuren and Wesselburen.^(Duden 7 2020|133)^(Adelung 1793|1, 754)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''būr'' in glosses.^(Kluge 2011|97)^(DWB2|4, 304)

+ * 1250–60 – Sense “birdcage” in Berthold von Holle.^(DWB2|4, 304)

+ * 1482 – ''buer'' “bird-house” in a Nuremberg vocabulary.^(DWB2|4, 304)

+ * 17th century – Neuter gender recorded by Henisch.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(dated, regional)'' A [[m|en|birdcage]]; usually [[Vogelbauer]]: ''Sie hängte das Bauer mit dem Wellensittich ans Fenster.''^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Vogelbauer]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|farmer}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=9th century|origins=gem-pro *būraz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbaʊ̯ɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Bauer''' ''m'' (weak or mixed, genitive (standard) Bauern or (informal) Bauers, plural Bauern, diminutive Bäuerchen n or Bäuerlein n, feminine Bäuerin or Bäurin)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The farmer is [[inh|gmh|gebūre]] and [[m|gmh|būre]], [[inh|goh|gibūro]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*būr]], [[inh|gem-pro|*būraz|t=dweller]].^(Wiktionary)^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Paul 2002) Several formations merged in it: the main one, [[m|goh|gibūr]], is a West Germanic compound with the collective prefix meaning “fellow dweller in the village community”, built like [[Geselle]] on the noun for “dwelling” of the first homograph.^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|133) Beside it stood the agent noun [[m|goh|būāri|t=inhabitant, settler, farmer]], [[m|gmh|būwære]], from [[bauen]].^(Kluge 2011|97)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 302) Duden holds that the word is not derived from the verb.^(Duden 7 2020|133) The same compound is [[osx|gibūr]] and [[ang|gebūr|t=farmer]], with [[nl|boer]];^(Kluge 2011|97) Old Norse used a different formation of the same root, [[non|bóndi]].^(Kluge 2011|97)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''būāri'' “inhabitant, settler” appears in the Benedictine Rule (about 800), and ''būr'' “inhabitant, neighbour, farmer” in a 9th-century gloss.^(Köbler AHD) The prefixed forms first meant “fellow inhabitant, neighbour, villager”.^(Duden 7 2020|133)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The prefixless Middle High German form prevailed from the 15th century.^(Paul 2002) The social order of the Middle Ages made ''Bauer'' a name of occupation and rank, set against the nobility, the clergy and the townsman, and the view of the other ranks gave it the sense “coarse, uncouth person”, early used as an insult.^(Duden 7 2020|133)^(Paul 2002) Luther seldom uses it and prefers ''Ackermann''.^(DWB|1, 1176) Within the village it meant the holder of a full farm, as opposed to a cottager.^(Duden 7 2020|133) Since the 19th century the usual occupational name has been ''Landwirt''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The names of the chess piece and of the card follow the order of ranks.^(Kluge 2011|97) The inflection wavered: strong forms such as ''des alten bauers'' (Fontane) occur into the 19th century.^(DWB2|4, 302) Hungarian borrowed the word early as ''pór'' (1211), and Czech has ''búr'' as an insult.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 800 – Old High German ''būāri'' in the Benedictine Rule.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – First record of the prefixed noun.^(Kluge 2011|97)

+ * 1211 – Hungarian ''pór''.^(LWP)

+ * 15th century – The form without prefix prevails.^(Paul 2002)

+ * c. 1850 – ''Bauernfänger'' “con man” in Berlin thieves' cant.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1878 – The strong genitive ''bauers'' still in Fontane.^(DWB2|4, 302)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|farmer]]: ''Der Bauer fährt mit dem Traktor aufs Feld.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(historical)'' A [[m|en|peasant]], a member of the peasant class.^(Wiktionary DE)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial, derogatory)'' A [[m|en|boor]], an uncouth person.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(chess)'' A [[m|en|pawn]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(card games)'' A [[m|en|jack]], knave.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Bäuerin]]

+ * [[bäuerlich]]

+ * [[bäurisch]]

+ * [[Bauernhof]]

+ * [[Bauernschaft]]

+ * [[Bauernfänger]]

+ * [[Bauernkrieg]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bauen]]

+ * [[Nachbar]]

+ * [[en|bower]]

+ * [[en|boor]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A third ''Bauer'', masculine with the genitive ''Bauers'' and the plural ''Bauer'', means “builder” and is used almost only in compounds such as ''Orgelbauer'' and ''Schiffbauer''; it is the agent noun of [[bauen]].^(Duden Universal 2007)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Adelung 1793|1, 753) Bauer is also a frequent surname.^(Paul 2002) Proverbs about the farmer include ''Die dümmsten Bauern haben die dicksten Kartoffeln'', said of undeserved success.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}