Vorlage

English

Alternative forms

• vorlage

Etymology

Borrowed from German Vorlage (“template, prototype”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔːlɑːɡə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɹlɑɡə/

Noun

Vorlage (plural Vorlages)

1. A prior version or manifestation of a text.
   • 1989, Simon John De Vries, 1 and 2 Chronicles, page 9:

     Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah already existed in their individual Hebrew Vorlages, and 1 Esdras existed, probably in Hebrew, as a derivative from them.

   • 1992, David Noel Freedman, Studies in Hebrew and Aramaic Orthography, page 245:

     Rather the scribe had a Vorlage that was more conservative than MT in this detail.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German vorlāge. By surface analysis, deverbal from vorlegen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːɡə]

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Noun

Vorlage f (genitive Vorlage, plural Vorlagen)

1. source material, original, inspiration (the material that is adapted into a piece of media or art, e.g. a novel turned into a film, a historical person transformed into a fictional character, or a photo copied into a pencil sketch)
2. (also computing) template (generic layout or form to be specified with concrete data)

   Stundenzettel-Vorlage ― time sheet template

3. (formal) presentation, submission (of a document requested/required as part of a process)

   Für die Bewerbung ist die Vorlage einer Studienbescheinigung notwendig.

   As part of the application, proof of enrollment must be presented.

   (literally, “the presentation of certificate of enrollment is required”)

4. setup, assist, opportunity (something which is promptly referenced by someone else to make a joke, argument, segue or criticism)
   • 2015 October 8, Matthias Krupa, “Jean-Claude Juncker: "Sie überschätzen mein Talent"”, in Die Zeit‎^[1], number 41/2015, archived from the original on 28 November 2020:

     Statt die erwartbaren Fragen an sich abprallen zu lassen, hat Juncker seinen Kritikern neue Vorlagen geliefert.

     Instead of having the predictable questions bounce off of him, Juncker provided his detractors with new material to pounce on.

5. (sports) assist (decisive pass that leads to a goal or similar successful play)
6. (uncountable, sports) forward-leaning posture

   Antonym: Rücklage

   • 2025, Wolfgang G. Locher, Fechten mit Schwert und Buckler: nach I.33, dem ältesten Fechtbuch der Welt, →ISBN, page 190:

     Der Schüler bietet sein "Schützen" auf seiner nicht-dominanten rechten Seite an. Er steht in Vorlage, aber nicht extrem nach vorne gelehnt, so dass er noch stabil stehen kann.

     The student offers his buckler on his non-dominant right side. He is in a forward-leaning position, but not extremely leaned forwards, such that he can still stand in a stable manner.

   1. (skiing) vorlage
7. (politics) draft, document (for evaluation or ratification by a wider circle)
   • 1918, Heinrich Mann, Der Untertan‎^[2], Leipzig: Kurt Wolff Verlag, page 466:

     Die Mehrheit des Reichstages war gewissenlos genug, die Vorlage abzulehnen […]

     A majority of the Reichstag was unscrupulous enough to reject the [legislative] draft […]

Declension

Declension of Vorlage [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Vorlage	die	Vorlagen
genitive	einer	der	Vorlage	der	Vorlagen
dative	einer	der	Vorlage	den	Vorlagen
accusative	eine	die	Vorlage	die	Vorlagen

Hypernyms

• Arbeitsvorlage
• Druckvorlage
• Gesetzesvorlage
• Steilvorlage
• Textvorlage
• Tischvorlage
• Wiedervorlage

Further reading

• “Vorlage” in Duden online
• “Vorlage”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[3] (in German)