erläutern German · revision 36282

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 1000, Notker|origins=ine-pro *k̑leu-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛʁˈlɔʏ̯təʁn/, [ʔɛɐ̯ˈlɔʏ̯tʰɐn]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''erläutern''' (third-person singular present erläutert, past tense erläuterte, past participle erläutert, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|erliutern]], [[inh|goh|irliuteren]], a prefixed verb formed [[af|de|er-|läutern]].^(Kluge 2011|255)^(DWB2|8, 1929)^(Wiktionary) Kluge places it with [[lauter]] “pure, clear”, in the same way as [[erklären]] belongs to [[klar]].^(Kluge 2011|255)

+

+ The adjective is [[gmh|lūter]], [[goh|hlūttar]], from [[gem-pro|*hlūtraz|t=clear, clean, pure]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[osx|hlūttar]], [[ang|hlūttor]] and [[got|𐌷𐌻𐌿𐍄𐍂𐍃|tr=hlūtrs]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Pfeifer compares [[grc|κλύζω|tr=klúzō|t=to wash, rinse]] and [[lt|šluoti|alt=šlúoti|t=to sweep]] and traces them all to a root [[ine-pro|*k̑leu-|t=to wash, make clean]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''irlūttaren'' “to purify, refine” is first recorded in Notker, about 1000.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|8, 1929) In his psalms silver refined seven times in the fire is ''sibenstunt irliutertez'' “seven times purified”.^(DWB2|8, 1929)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Until the 17th century the verb still meant “to make pure, clear or bright”, and in Middle High German it could be said of the body and the soul as well as of liquids.^(Paul 2002)^(Köbler MHD)^(DWB2|8, 1929) Sixteenth-century writers on medicine still used it of a juice that clears dim eyesight and of air washed clean by rain.^(DWB|3, 894)

+

+ From Early New High German on, the sense was transferred to the mind: to make something understandable, to [[m|en|explain]] it at length, and also to take a position on a matter.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB) By the time of Adelung the word was used only in this figurative sense, “to make comprehensible”.^(Adelung 1793) Goethe distinguished ''erläutern'', to throw light on single passages, from ''erklären'', to interpret the whole.^(DWB|3, 894) The noun [[Erläuterung]], already Middle High German, can also mean a commentary on a text.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – Notker uses Old High German ''irlūttaren'' “to purify”.^(Köbler AHD)^(DWB2|8, 1929)

+ * 12th century – A Middle High German sermon speaks of people made ''erlûtert'' in body and soul.^(DWB2|8, 1929)

+ * 1264 – Berthold von Regensburg says that a single drop of water ''erliutert'' the wine in the chalice.^(DWB2|8, 1929)

+ * Early New High German – The sense “to explain” appears.^(Paul 2002)^(FWB)

+ * 17th century – The literal sense “to make pure” goes out of use.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1793 – Adelung records the verb only in the figurative sense.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|explain]] a complicated matter in more detail, to make it clear with examples or [[m|en|comment|alt=comments]]: ''Die Ärztin erläuterte ihm den Befund.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Erläuterung]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[läutern]]

+ * [[lauter]]

+ * [[erklären]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}