AUS: Lesekurs für Geisterwissenschaftler. Anhang Englisch.
Marie-Luise Brandi & Barbara Momenteau. Klett Verlag 1992, p. 5-16.
1.
Roots that are considered most productive *
Modern German vocabulary of Germanic and pre-Germanic origin seems to be entirely based, as is the case with Indo-European vocabulary in general, on monosyllabic roots consisting of two or three consonants. Given this limitation, the number of roots is relatively restricted so that most of the vocabulary must have been formed either by derivation (prefixes-and suffixes) or composition. The Latin contribution (often via French), especially to scientific and literary vocabulary, is considerable. Greek has in principle only contributed to scientific vocabulary. The most productive roots are enumerated here in the form of nouns (capital letter!), adjectives or adverbs, or of verb roots, with an indication of any vowel changes, cf. 6: biegen - infinitive I - (biegt) 3rd pers. sg. present I bog - imperfect I gebogen - past participle, 13: brechen - infinitive I bricht - 3rd pers. sg. present I brach - imperfect I gebrochen - past part.
11
12
13
acht
all
Arbeit
bau
besser
bieg/-/o/o
biet/-/o/o
bild
bind/-/a/u
bittl -/a/e
bleib
bliih
brauch
brech/i/a/o
14
breit
(to pay attention, be careful)
all/every
work, to work
to build, cultivate
better
to bend
to offer
to form
to tie, bind
to ask, beg
cf.leb 89)
to flourish
to use, need
to break
wide
lS
brennl -Ial a
to bum
16
bringl -/achte/acht
da
deck
denkl - I achtelacht
dank
deut
dien
Ding
dreh
dring/-/a/u
driick
druck
diirfla/u/u
eigen
ein
Ende
ess/i/a/e
to bring
there
to cover
to think
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
(-
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
to indicate, show
to serve
thing
to turn
to penetrate, press for
to press
to be allowed to
own
one, a
end
to eat
* accnrding to Hanno Martin, linguist at the German Cultural Centre (Goethe-Institut), Munich
5
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
fang/a/ila
fahig
fahr/a/u/a
fertig
fall/a/iel/a
falsch
fehl
(emp-/be-) fehl/iehl/a/o
fern
fest
Feuer
find/-/a/u
fliegl -/0/0
Flug
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
(­
(­
(­
(­
52
(­
(­
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
6
flieh/-/o/o
Flucht
fliessl - 10/0
FluB
folg
frag
frei
Freund
Friede
frierl -/0/0
froh
Freude
geb/i/a/e
gegen
gehl - lingl ang
geniess
genug
gerade
gescheh
giess/ -/0/0
GuB
glaub
gleich
greifl - liff/iff
Grund
gut
haltla/ie/a
Hand
hang/-lila
hang
Haupt
Haus
hebl -/0/0
helf/ila/o
hell
Herz
hint
to catch
capable
to go, drive, ride
ready
to fall
wrong
to be la..c)dng, missing
to recommend, command
distant, far-off
fixed, firm
fire
to find
to fly
flight
to flee
flight
to flow
river, flow
to follow
to ask
free
friend
peace
to freeze
pleased, cheerful, happy
pleasure, joy
to give
against
to go, walk
cf. (ge-)niess 113)
cf. (ge-)nug 114)
cf. (ge-)rade 118)
cf. (ge-)scheh 138)
to pour
shower, gush
cf. g.laub 87)
cf. g.leich 91)
to seize
bottom, basis
good
to hold
hand
to hang (intrans.)
to hang (trans.)
principal, chief, main
house
to lift, raise
to help
light
heart
behind
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
ho(c)h
Hof
hoi
hor
in/ein
irr
Jahr
jed
jung
kauf
kehr
klag
klar
Kleid
komml -/aml omm
-kunft
bequem
konn/a/o/o
kenn/-/a/a
Kunde
Kunst
kurz
lad/a/u/a
Last
Land
lang
lass/a/ie/a
er.laub
g.laub
lauf/au/ie/au
leb
bleibl -/ie/ie
lehr
lern
gJeich
leit
les/ie/a/e
Licht
lieb
liegl -/a/e
los
(ver-)lierl -/0/0
mach
manch
Menge
Mann
Mensch
Marke
merk
mess/i/a/e
Mitte
high
courtyard, court
to fetch
to hear, listen to
in
to be wrong
year
each, every
young
to buy
to turn
to complain
clear
clothing
to come
"""""':;
comfortable, convenient
to be able to, know
to know
news, customer
art
short
to load
load
land, country
long
to let, leave
to allow
to believe
to run, go
to live
to stay
to teach
to learn
same, equal
to lead, conduct
to read
light
to love
to lie, be
detached, off
to lose
to make, do
many a
multitude, crowd, masses
man
mark, brand
to notice
to measure
middle
7
,
I
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
8
magi al ochtel ocht
Macht
Mund
Mut
na(c)h
Nacht
Name
nehm/imml al omm
neu
(ge-)niess/-/o/o
GenuB
nutz
(ge-)nug
offen
ordn
pass
(ge-)rade
rag
reg
rat
Raum
Recht
richt
Rede
reich (1)
reich (2)
reis
reiss/-lili
riech/-/o/o
rauch
rinn/-/a/o
renn/-/a/a
ruck (1)
ruck (2)
rufl-/ie/u
Ruhe
ruhr
sag
schaff/-/u/a
schau
(ge-)schehl -I al e
Geschichte
schick
scheid/-/ie/ie
schein/-/ie/ie
schieb/-/o/o
Schub
schiessl -I 01 0
schutz
schlaf/a/ie/a
schlag/a/u/a
to like, like to
power
mouth
courage, spirits
after, near
night
name
to take
new
to enjoy
enjoyment, pleasure
to be of use, make use of
enough
open
to (put in) order
to pass, happen
straight, direct
to rise, tower
to move
to advise
space, room
right, law
to judge
speech
rich
to reach
to travel
to pull, tear
to smell
to smoke
to run, flow
to run
to move (trans. and intrans.)
return, back
to call, shout
quiet, calm
to stir, move
to say
to create
to look
to happen, occur
history, story
to send
to separate, divide
to shine, seem
to push
push
to shoot
to protect
to sleep
to hit, strike, beat
-'--'"'-~
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
(172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
schliess/-I 01 0
Schlu13
schneid/itt/itt
schreib/-/ie/ie
schwer
seh/ie/al
Sicht
senk
sink/-/a/u
setz
sitz/-I a13l ess
solI
Schuld
spann
spiel
sprech/ila/o
Spruch
spreng
spring/-/a/u
stech/ila/o
steck
steh/-/and/and
stell
Stadt
steig/-/ie/ie
stimm
stosslOlie/o
Sto13
streich/-lili
such
Teil
trag/a/u/a
treff/ilaf/o
treib/-/ie/ie
tret/ittl ale
tun/-Itat/tan
ii/ober
unter
verlier
wachsl a/ul a
wag
wieg/-/o/o
Gewicht
wahr
wasch/a/u/a
wechsel
weich
weit
werb/ila/o
werflila/o
Wurf
to close, shut
end, conclusion
to cut
to write
heavy
to see
sight, view
to lower, sink
to sink (intrans.)
to place, sit, set
to sit (intrans.)
to be to (should)
debt, fault, guilt, obligation
to stretch, tighten (trans.)
to play
to speak
saying, judgement
to blow up, break
to jump, leap
to stick, pierce, sting
to put (in), stick
to stand (intrans.)
to put, place, stand (trans.)
town
to climb, go up
to tune
to push, knock
push,knock
to stroke, spread
to search
part
to carry
to hit, meet
to drive, push
to step, tread
to do
over, above, upper
below, beneath, under
cf. (ver-)lier98)
to grow
to weigh
weight
true
to wash
to (ex)change
soft
wide, far
to advertize, win
to throw
throw
9
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
10
Wert
Wiirde
wind/-/a/u
wend
wirk
Werk
wiss/ei/u/u
wohn
woll/i/o/o
wahl
Zahl
zeig
Zeichen
Zeit
ziehl -/og/og
Zug
zeug
Zucht
zwei
zwie
zwischen
zwingl -/a/u
value
dignity
to wind, hoist
to work, act, have an effect
work
to know
to live, stay
to want, want to
to choose, elect
number, figure
to show
sign
time
to pull, drag
trait, train
to generate, father
breeding
two
between
to force
2.
Suffixes and prefixes in the formation of words
2.1.
Suffixes frequently used in the formation of nouns
suffIX
meaning
type of base-word
-ei
indicates
1. the names of firms
or establishments
2. the object of a process
nouns
verbs
3. a repeated human activity
often with negative connotations
gender: feminine
example
Backerei
(bakery)
Malerei
(painting)
Traumerei
(dreaming)
-er
indicates
the agent or "doer" of an action
gender: masculine
verbs
some nouns
Zeichner
(draughtsman)
Staubsauger
(vacuum cleaner
-heit
-keit
indicates
a state or a quality
gender: feminine
adjectives
some nouns
Schonheit
(beauty)
Menschheit
(humanity)
-ling
indicates
1. people of a particular category and
2. is frequently pejorative
gender: masculine
nouns
verbs
adjectives
Lehrling
(apprentice)
Schreiber ling
(scribbler)
-nis
indicates
the result or the place of an action
gender: neuter or feminine
verbs
some nouns
and
adjectives
-sal
used to form abstract nouns
gender: neuter or feminine
verbs
s Schicksal
(fate)
-schaft
I. generally indicates a collective of people
2. is used to form abstract nouns
gender: feminine
nouns
some
adjectives
Gesellschaft
(society)
Eigenschaft
(characteristic)
e Kenntnis
(knowledge)
s Gefangnis
(prison)
It
suffix
meaning
type ofbase-word
example
-tum
indicates
a body of concepts
a collective
nouns
adjectives
verbs
Christentum
(Christianity)
Eigentum
(property)
r Irrtum
(error)
verbs
Unterscheidung
(differentiation)
Bewegung
(movement)
conduct
gender: neuter,
except r Irrtum, r Reichtum
Mung
indicates an action in the sense of
development towards a state;
a phenomenon recalling its development
gender: feminine
2.2.
Prefixes frequently used in the formation of nouns
prefix
meaning
type ofbase-word
Ge­
denotes
l. a collective sometimes with pejorative con­
notations
nouns
verbs
2. the result of an action
gender: neuter, with afew exceptions,
e.g. Gedanke
example
s Gebirge
(mountains)
s Gerede
(gossip)
s Gefiige
(structure)
MiB­
(cf. prefixes used in the formation of verbs)
Un­
expresses negation or turns the noun it is
attached to into its opposite
nouns
e Unlust
(displeasure)
Ur­
indicates authenticity or original character
nouns
e Ursache
(cause)
2.3.
Prefixes and suffixes frequently used in the formation of adjectives
prefixes
meaning
example
un-
expresses negation or turns the adjective it is
attached to into its opposite
unmoglich
(impossible)
ur-
intensifies the meaning, indicates authenticity
or original character
uralt
(very old)
12
suffixes
meaning adjective root
-bar
expresses
1. that something is possible, can happen
verbs
nouns
2. that something or someone has a
particular quality
example
machbar
(feasible)
wunderbar
(wonderful)
-haft
indicates a character, quality, aptitude
nouns
adjectives
verbs
beispielhaft
(exemplary)
krankhaft
(sickly,
pathological)
-ig
indicates a quality,
state or similarity
nouns
verbs
adverbs
abhangig
(dependent)
heutig
(today's)
-isch
indicates
1. origin
nouns
adjectives
verbs
2. a quality (used for adjectives based on
Greek or Latin roots)
3. something pejorative
indicates
1. particular qualities, an essential
characteristic
2. that something is possible, can happen
nouns
verbs
adjectives
-los
expresses deprivation, the absence of a
quality
(- "-less")
nouns
-sam
expresses through similarity
1. a quality
nouns
verbs
adjectives
-lich
2. a tendency, a propensity
griechisch
(Greek)
kritisch
(critical)
logisch
(logical)
weibisch
(effeminate)
weiblich
(feminine)
verstandlich
(understandable)
sinn los
(meaningless)
langsam
(slow)
schweigsam
(taciturn)
Indications of the comparative and superlative
(:)st
indicates the comparative ein IJterer Text (an older text)
alter sein als (to be older than)
indicates the superlative der alte~e Text (the oldest text)
am altesten sein (to be the oldest)
Note: There is frequently inflection in the comparative and superlative forms.
13
2.4.
Prefixes frequently used in the formation of compound verbs
prefix
sep'/insep.
meaning example
ab­
sep.
expresses detachment, separation
reduction
ab/fahren (to depart) ab/schaffen (to abolish) an­
sep.
indicates a seeking of contact, marking
the beginning of an action or also its
intensification
an/sprechen (to address an/fangen (to begin) anierkennen (to recognize, acknowledge) auf­
sep.
indicates
1. "on", "over",
"upon", "on top"
2. "up"
3. opening
4. to carry an action through to the end
einen Hut auf/setzen (to put on a hat) auf/stehen (to get up) auf/machen (to open) auf/lasen (to dissolve) aus­
sep.
expresses exit, externalization and even a
completed action
ausldriicken (to express) aus/beuten (to exploit) be­
insep.
indicates that the action of an intransitive verb
affects a person or an object, thus making the
verb transitive. When the verb without the
prefix is already transitive, the link between
action and object is strengthened.
exceptions: bediirfen + gen. (to need)
begegnen + dat. (to meet)
bestehen in + dat. (to consist in)
bestehen aus + dat. (to consist of)
besitzen (to possess) bedenken (to think about some­
thing) dar­
sep.
indicates "making visible"
darlstellen (to represent) durch­
sep./insep.
indicates "going through" and implies
completing an action
durch/lesen (to read through) durch/fiihren (to carry out, carry through) 14
prefIX
sep'/insep.
meaning example
ein-
sep.
indicates entering a state, going into
something, or for transitive verbs, causing to
enter ...
sich einlgewohnen
(to settle down or in)
ein/treten
(to go in)
ein/fiihren
(to introduce)
empent-
insep.
formerly particles, "emp-" or "ent-" indicate
1. the beginning of an action
(cf. "an-"),
distance or even
deprivation
2. a range of situations from reciprocity to
opposition (cf. e Antwort: response)
3. "in", inside
entstehen
(to originate, emerge)
entfemen
(to remove)
entziehen
(to withdraw,
take away)
entsprechen
(to correspond)
entwickeln
(to develop)
enthalten
(to contain)
empfinden
(to feel)
er-
insep.
indicates entering into an action or a state
which may involve an intensification of this
action or even its completion i.e. denote a
result obtained
(root: adjectives and verbs)
erroten
(to blush)
erleichtem
(to make easier,
facilitate)
erreichen
(to reach)
herhin-
sep.
denotes orientation and may be combined with other particles hin/weisen auf
(to point to)
hervor/rufen
(to cause)
miB-
insep.
always expresses a negative concept, the
opposite of the verb without the prefix
(cf. Engl. "mis-", "mal-")
miBtrauen
(to mistrust)
miBhandeln
(to maltreat,
mistreat)
iiber
sep'/insep.
indicates "going beyond something", i.e.
crossing something and exceeding a limit
iibertreten
(to infringe)
iibertreiben
(to exaggerate)
15
prefrx
sep'/insep.
meaning example
um-
sep.linsep
expresses a circular movement, a change of position of an object, a transformation umgeben
(to surround)
um/stiirzen
(to overturn)
um/gestalten
(to alter)
ver-
insep.
expresses the intensification of an action, a
transformation, sometimes to the extent that it
denotes the opposite of the root word, i.e. has a
negative meaning
(root: nouns, adjectives and verbs)
versprechen
(to promise)
verbessern
(to improve)
verachten
(to despise)
weiter-
sep.
expresses the continuation of an action weiter/lesen
(to read on)
wider-
sep'/insep.
expresses hostility towards someone, and the
reversal of a process
wider = gegen - against
widersprechen
(to contradict)
widerlegen
(to refute)
wieder-
sep.linsep.
expresses repetition
wieder - again
wiederholen
(to repeat)
zer-
insep.
expresses dispersion,
separation, destruction
zerstoren
(to destroy)
zu-
sep.
expresses
1. an act of closing
2. orientation, movement towards ...
3. an increase
zuriick
16
sep.
expresses return zu/machen
(to shut)
zu/rufen
(to shout sth
to or at sb)
zu/nehmen
(to increase)
zurUck/kommen
(to return)