unter

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See also: Unter and unter-

German

Etymology

From Middle High German under, unter, from Old High German untar, from Proto-Germanic *under (compare Old Saxon undar, Hunsrik unne, Dutch onder, English under).

Pronunciation

Preposition

unter

  1. under
  2. below
  3. among, between
    • 1919, Walther Kabel, Irrende Seelen, Werner Dietsch Verlag, page 108:
      Unsere Unterredung wurde jetzt im leichten Plauderton geführt wie ein harmloses Gespräch unter guten Bekannten.
      Our discussion was now held in a light conversational tone like a harmless chat between friendly acquaintances.
  4. (chiefly literary) with; along with; accompanied by an action (often concessive)
    Die englische Sprache überlebte die normannische Eroberung unter weitgehendem Verlust ihrer ursprünglichen Struktur.
    The English language survived the Norman conquest with a far-reaching loss of its original structure.
  5. (rare or regional) during

Usage notes

  • The sense “during” is chiefly restricted to a few expressions, such as unter der Woche (“during the week, on weekdays”), in standard usage. In southern German speech it is used more freely.
  • With a definite article, the following contractions may occur: unterm (= unter dem), untern (= unter den), and unters (= unter das). These are non-obligatory contractions.

Antonyms

See also

Further reading

  • unter” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache