jener
German
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle High German jener, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old High German jenēr, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *jainaz.
Pronunciation
Pronoun
jener (demonstrative)
Usage notes
- In formal writing, jener is not an uncommon word. It is used when the antecedent stands relatively far away from the pronoun, particularly if another word that could be the antecedent, is closer. Compare:
- Der Erfolg der Firma bei der jüngeren Zielgruppe beweist, dass jene sich verändert hat.
- The company's success among the younger target group proves that it [i.e. the company] has changed.
- Der Erfolg der Firma bei der jüngeren Zielgruppe beweist, dass diese sich verändert hat.
- The company's success among the younger target group proves that it [i.e., the target group as opposed to the company] has changed.
- Der Erfolg der Firma bei der jüngeren Zielgruppe beweist, dass jene sich verändert hat.
- In speech, jener is generally rare; in colloquial speech it is even completely avoided (except possibly in some fixed expressions). Instead, one uses forms of dieser and stressed forms of the definite article as demonstrative pronouns, without there being a clear semantic difference between these two. This means that colloquial German does not systematically distinguish between “this” and “that”. When necessary, such a distinction can be expressed by means of the adverbs hier (“here”) and da (“there”): der Mann hier und der Mann da; dieser Mann hier und dieser Mann da (both meaning “this man and that man”).
Declension
Declension of jener | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | feminine | neuter | plural | |
nominative | jener | jene | jenes | jene |
genitive | jenes | jener | jenes | jener |
dative | jenem | jener | jenem | jenen |
accusative | jenen | jene | jenes | jene |
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Further reading
- “jener” in Duden online
Old High German
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *jainaz, whence also Old English ġeon, Old Norse enn.
Adjective
jenēr
Descendants
Categories:
- German terms derived from Middle High German
- German terms derived from Old High German
- German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- German 2-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German pronouns
- German demonstrative pronouns
- German formal terms
- Old High German terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Old High German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Old High German lemmas
- Old High German adjectives