Stein German · revision 36273

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 8th century, Abrogans|origins=gem-pro *stainaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʃtaɪn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Stein''' ''m'' (genitive Steins or Steines, plural Steine, diminutive Steinchen n or Steindl n or Steinderl n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Oswald von Wolkenstein and some later writers have the plural ''steiner''.^(DWB|18, 1965)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|stein]], [[inh|goh|stein]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*stain]], [[inh|gem-pro|*stainaz|t=stone]].^(Kluge 2011|880)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[got|𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=stains]], [[non|steinn]], [[ang|stān]], [[ofs|stēn]] and [[osx|stēn]], and today [[nl|steen]], [[en|stone]], [[sv|sten]] and [[is|steinn]].^(Kluge 2011|880)^(Orel 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Outside Germanic it is compared with [[cu|стѣна|tr=stěna|t=wall, rock face]] and [[ru|стена|alt=стена́|tr=stená|t=wall]], and Kluge sees an extension of the noun in [[grc|στία|tr=stía|t=pebble]].^(Kluge 2011|880)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen and Wiktionary reconstruct [[ine-pro|*stóyh₂nos]], a noun formed from the root [[ine-pro|*steyh₂-|t=to stiffen]], which he connects with a Sanskrit verb meaning “to coagulate”.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary likewise derive it from a root meaning “to thicken, curdle”, so that the stone would be “the hard one”;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)^(Duden GWDS 1999) Kluge presents this further connection only as a possibility.^(Kluge 2011|880)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''stein'' is recorded from the late 8th century, in the ''Abrogans'' and other glosses and then in Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|8, 1022) It meant a stone or block of stone, a rock or cliff, and also a precious stone, a gaming piece and a bladder stone.^(EWA|8, 1022)^(Schützeichel 2012|312)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''stein'' also meant a rock castle, a step, a millstone and a unit of weight.^(Köbler MHD)^(Lexer 1872) Many phrases come from Luther's Bible: ''Stein des Anstoßes'' “stumbling block” and the first stone thrown by one who is without sin.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) ''Jemandem Steine in den Weg legen'' “to put obstacles in someone's way” dates from the 16th century, and so does ''Stein und Bein schwören'', in which stone and bone stand for hardness.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) ''Bei jemandem einen Stein im Brett haben'' “to be in someone's good books” comes from backgammon, where a well-placed piece promises success.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ As an intensifier ''Stein-'' came to be felt as a mere “very”: [[steinreich]] (15th century) first meant “rich in precious stones”, and [[steinalt]] is from the 16th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) The verb [[steinigen]] “to stone to death” is from the 15th century, replacing ''steinen'', and [[versteinern]] from the end of the 17th.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – ''stein'' appears in the ''Abrogans''.^(EWA|8, 1022)

+ * c. 800 – The adjectives ''steinag'' “stony” and ''steinīn'' “of stone” are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 9th century – Old High German ''steinōn'' “to stone” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''steinigen'' and ''steinreich'' are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * c. 1500 – ''steinern'' replaces older ''steinīn''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – ''Steine in den Weg legen'', ''Stein und Bein schwören'' and ''steinalt'' appear.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ * End of the 17th century – ''versteinern'' replaces ''versteinen''.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|stone|alt=Stone]] as a material, the hard mineral matter of the earth's crust.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A stone: a piece of rock of any size.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A building block such as a [[m|en|brick]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A precious stone, a [[m|en|gem]] ([[Edelstein]]).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A gravestone ([[Grabstein]]).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A piece in a board game ([[Spielstein]]).^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The hard ''stone'' of a fruit, its [[m|en|pit]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(sport)'' The block of metal thrown in stone-putting.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(medicine)'' A [[m|en|calculus]], such as a gallstone or kidney stone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(regional)'' A beer [[m|en|mug]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(historical)'' A unit of weight.^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[steinig]]

+ * [[steinern]]

+ * [[steinigen]]

+ * [[versteinern]]

+ * [[steinreich]]

+ * [[steinalt]]

+ * [[steinhart]]

+ * [[Edelstein]]

+ * [[Grabstein]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|stone]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}