Hallo,
mich treibt im Moment um, wieso sich im deutschen, anders als im englischen unfd französischen, keine Entsprechung vom (kirchen-) lateinischen "contritus" = von Gewissensbissen geplagt sein; an/bei/mit/in Reue zerknirscht sein gebildet hat.
Ich hab absolut keine Idee und bei ersten Internet-Recherchen nichts dazu gefunden.
Ich setzte hier nochmal denselben Text, den ich dazu auf einer englischsprachigen Seite schrieb, Entschuldigung für die Faulheit es erneut zu formulieren; ich hoffe es ist ok.
Gruß
contritus
This old latin word was, presumably, first used in terms of to crush something, went on to overthrow somebody and to disregard someone until it reached the meaning of contrite, being stung with remorse established by the rising christian church.
It seems like the modern meaning, the takeover in new languages, is relativley close to the latin meaning, engl.: "contrite", french: "contrit".
Both used in religious coherences.
In german, which is my native language, there exists no such word.
We have "Reue" which, I would say, would fit most into the old english worde "rue", similar ones like "remorse" or "penitence" add a sense of being contrite, being plagued in the moment, feeling a urge to do something (for the better), which is missing in german.
My fellow-countrymen may disagree, I understand "Reue" more or less solely as a enduring condition. Closer to misery than to consience. A state where you feel uncomfortable, because of something you did wrong, but the focus is rather on your current emotion, the suffering (about your action), instead of the wrong itself, which still persists.
Etymologically (Kluges Etymologie) "Reue" is derived from old germanic ""hreowan", "hriwoda", "hreuwan", "riuwan" which seems to mean only "to ache".
Apart from germanic heritage it could possibly be connected with "karuna" = "miserable" , "pityingly" or "mercicful" (german "mitleidig" can mean both), maybe more older taken from "krusti" "to crush".
In my Opinion, a Keyword, when it comes to deal with sin and salvation, is missing in german.
If you translate "contrite" you also get the german word "zerknirscht" in addition to "Reue", to match more the original significance. "zerknirscht" can be easily be replaced with "being frustrated" with no moral inflection at all.
In everyday language it is never used.
Looking at the indo-european language tree
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ropeanTree.svg french is on the side of the romanic languages, but english relativley close to modern german.
To me it is a flabbergasting fact.
Any thoughts on that?