Hofschranze

Hofschranze (which, in older times, also the Hofschranz (e) ) is a derogatory term that has been used since the 16th century for a courtier at the court of a prince , the meaning of which includes negative character traits and behaviors that are favored within the very hierarchical court society -Competitive groups can arise. Typical behaviors towards the benefactor include, for example, liking , flattery and hypocrisy ; over competitors intrigue , humiliation , defamation , slander . The word is also used for people in the non-courtly environment of a high-ranking or influential personality.

The word is etymologically derived from the Middle High German word Schranz ( e ) ("Riss", "Schlitz"), which has been metonymically transferred to the wearer since the late Middle Ages as a requisite for courtly or patrician splendor of customary "slit" robes and retained in New High German as a compound Hofschranze has been.

Hofschranzen in literature and in film

In Friedrich Schiller's drama Kabale und Liebe , the figure of the Court Marshal von Kalb is a typical court curtain.
In the feature film Rob Roy , Tim Roth plays a court dresser as Archibald Cunningham .

Web links

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

Individual evidence

↑ In Swiss German , “der Schranz” is still used today with this meaning.
^ Friedrich Kluge : Etymological dictionary of the German language. 24th revised and expanded edition, edited by Elmar Seebold. de Gruyter, Berlin a. a. 2002, ISBN 3-11-017472-3 , p. 417.

[1] In Swiss German , “der Schranz” is still used today with this meaning.

[2] Friedrich Kluge : Etymological dictionary of the German language. 24th revised and expanded edition, edited by Elmar Seebold. de Gruyter, Berlin a. a. 2002, ISBN 3-11-017472-3 , p. 417.