-bar

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-bar is a common suffix in the adjective used to form words . In most cases, transitive verbs are derived from adjectives using -bar . Example: “heal” becomes “curable”. The meaning of -bar can be paraphrased as can , since it indicates a possibility: “curable” then means that someone or something “can be cured”.

Meanings

One can distinguish two meanings:

  • an active one like “flammable”, “liable”: “The wood is combustible” can be interpreted as “The wood can burn” or “The wood burns (lightly, only with difficulty, ...)”; "Peter is liable" as "Peter can / must (under certain circumstances) be liable."
  • a passive one like "deliverable", "repairable": "The goods can be delivered immediately" means: "The goods can be delivered immediately"; “The vehicle can be repaired again” as “The vehicle can be repaired again.” This is the most widely used meaning.

Different formations

In advertising language, -bar formations were used sporadically by using adjectives that were contrary to the rules. The example of “unbreakable” for a newly developed plastic beverage bottle became well known. The expression “flat-less” was formed according to the same pattern for bicycle tires that are protected against splinters with a special rubber layer under the tread. The irregular way of formation arouses the reader's attention and thus achieves a desired effect for advertising.

origin

The suffix -bar goes back to Old High German bāri , which belongs to the verb beran "to carry".

Productivity and expansion

-bar is one of the productive word formation suffixes in German: over 2000 words with this suffix have been found (Flury 1964). The spread of -bar formations in German was examined in Best (2003).

literature

  • Karl-Heinz Best: Language acquisition, language change and vocabulary growth in texts. On the scope of the Piotrowski law. In: Glottometrics 6, 2003, 9-34. To -bar : S. 17f (PDF full text ).
  • Duden. The grammar. 7th, completely new and expanded edition. Dudenverlag: Mannheim / Leipzig / Vienna / Zurich 2005. ISBN 3-411-04047-5
  • R. Flury: Structure and meaning history of the adjective suffix -bar. Keller, Winterthur 1964 (Diss. Phil., Zurich)
  • Smart. Etymological dictionary of the German language. Edited by Elmar Seebold. 24th, revised and expanded edition. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2002. ISBN 3-11-017472-3

Web links

Wiktionary: -bar  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nina Janich: Advertising language. A work book. 2nd, completely revised and expanded edition. Narr, Tübingen 2001. p. 106. ISBN 3-8233-4974-0 .
  2. ↑ Advertising slogan for the Marathon Plus tire, cf. http://www.schwalbe.com/de/unplattbar-site.html (accessed on June 17, 2014)