Müller German · revision 36293

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=11th century, Old High German glosses|origins=la molīna}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmʏlɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Müller''' ''m'' (genitive Müllers, plural Müller, diminutive Müllerchen n or Müllerlein n, feminine Müllerin)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|müller]], [[inh|goh|mulināri]], [[bor|la-lat|molīnārius|t=miller]], borrowed in the 11th century.^(Kluge 2011|639)^(Duden 7 2020|569)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The Latin noun belongs to [[m|la-lat|molīna|t=mill]], the source of [[Mühle]], and so to the family of [[mahlen]].^(Duden 7 2020|569)^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Köbler AHD) Kluge treats the borrowing as likely, like that of [[non|mylnari]], but does not quite exclude a Germanic derivation from the word for “mill”.^(Kluge 2011|639)

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+ The Middle High German form arose from older [[m|gmh|mülner]] and [[m|gmh|mülnære]] when /ln/ was assimilated to /ll/; the Grimms' dictionary dates the assimilated form to the 14th century.^(DWB|12, 2654)^(FWB) The word spread as a loan through Low and High German and into Scandinavian: [[osx|mulineri]], [[gml|molner]], [[nl|molenaar]] and [[m|nl|mulder]], [[en|miller]], [[sv|mjölnare]] and [[is|malari]] are the same word, and [[fr|meunier]] continues the Latin noun.^(Kluge 2011|639)^(DWB|12, 2654)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''mulināri'' “miller” is found only in the glosses,^(Schützeichel 2012|228) first in glosses of the 11th or 12th century.^(Köbler AHD) Middle High German ''mülnære'' appears in charters from 1263.^(Köbler MHD)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The older form ''mülner'' lived on in New High German and was still listed by Stieler, but later survived mainly in the surname ''Müllner'' and in Upper German dialects, such as Carinthian ''müllnar''.^(DWB|12, 2654) The assimilated ''müller'' became the usual form in the 16th century.^(DWB|12, 2654) Central and Low German had ''moller'' and ''möller''.^(DWB|12, 2654)

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+ Early New High German records deal at length with the miller's legal position, his duty to keep the mill and the water in order, his pay and dues, and his reputation for small dishonest dealings.^(FWB) Luther's Bible counts “the sound of the millers” among the everyday sounds that would fall silent in the land (Jeremiah 25).^(DWB|12, 2654) Adelung distinguished the corn miller, the plain ''Müller'', from the ''Windmüller'', ''Wassermüller'', ''Walkmüller'' (fuller), ''Schneidemüller'' (sawmiller) and others, and gave the feminine [[Müllerin]].^(Adelung 1793)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 11th century – Borrowed from Latin; first record in Old High German glosses.^(Kluge 2011|639)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1263 – Middle High German ''mülnære'' in a charter.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 14th century – The assimilated form ''muller'', ''müller'' appears.^(DWB|12, 2654)

+ * 1441 – ''Möller'' in a Weistum from the Wetterau.^(DWB|12, 2654)

+ * 1458 – ''müller und brotbegken'' (millers and bakers) in Basel legal sources.^(DWB|12, 2654)

+ * 16th century – ''Müller'' becomes the usual form.^(DWB|12, 2654)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|miller]]: a craftsman who grinds grain or other material in a [[Mühle|alt=mill]]; also an occupational title.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Müllerin]]

+ * [[Windmüller]]

+ * [[Wassermüller]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Mühle]]

+ * [[mahlen]]

+ * [[en|miller]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Müller'' is also a very common surname that began as the name of the trade;^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE) the German Wiktionary counts it as the most frequent surname in Germany and Switzerland and the fourth in Austria.^(Wiktionary DE) Low German ''Möller'' and older ''Müllner'' also survive as surnames.^(DWB|12, 2654)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}