FromMiddle High Germanbacken, fromOld High Germanbackan, an originally weak verb and geminated variant of an older strong verb:Middle High Germanbachen, fromOld High Germanbahhan, fromProto-West Germanic*bakan.
The two verbs early on were blended to some degree, each developing both weak and strong forms.Bachen was originally the predominant form inUpper German.Backen prevailed in the modern standard language because it was common inCentral German and also in line withMiddle Low Germanbacken (where*baken is not attested). Cognate withGerman Low Germanbacken,Dutchbakken,Englishbake,Danishbage,Swedishbaka, and alsoAncient Greekφώγω(phṓgō).
backen (weak or class 6strong,third-person singular presentbacktorbäckt,past tensebackteorbuk,past participlegebackenorgebackt,past subjunctivebackteorbüke,auxiliaryhaben)
The verbbacken has weak forms (present:du backst,er backt; past:backte; past participle:gebackt) alongside strong forms (du bäckst,er bäckt;buk;gebacken). The contemporary usage is as follows:
| infinitive | backen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | backend | ||||
| past participle | gebacken gebackt | ||||
| auxiliary | haben | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ichbacke | wirbacken | i | ichbacke | wirbacken |
| dubackst dubäckst | ihrbackt | dubackest | ihrbacket | ||
| erbackt erbäckt | siebacken | erbacke | siebacken | ||
| preterite | ichbackte ichbuk | wirbackten wirbuken | ii | ichbackte1 ichbüke1 | wirbackten1 wirbüken1 |
| dubacktest dubukst | ihrbacktet ihrbukt | dubacktest1 dubükest1 dubükst1 | ihrbacktet1 ihrbüket1 ihrbükt1 | ||
| erbackte erbuk | siebackten siebuken | erbackte1 erbüke1 | siebackten1 siebüken1 | ||
| imperative | back (du) backe (du) | backt (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative inwürde normally preferred.
FromOld Dutch*bakkan,*bakan, fromProto-West Germanic*bakan.
backen
This verb needs aninflection-table template.
| infinitive | base form | backen | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| genitive | backens | ||||||
| dative | backene | ||||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||||
| present | past | present | past | ||||
| 1st person singular | backe | — | backe | — | |||
| 2nd person singular | bacs,backes | — | bacs,backes | — | |||
| 3rd person singular | bact,backet | — | backe | — | |||
| 1st person plural | backen | — | backen | — | |||
| 2nd person plural | bact,backet | — | bact,backet | — | |||
| 3rd person plural | backen | — | backen | — | |||
| imperative | |||||||
| singular | bac,backe | ||||||
| plural | bact,backet | ||||||
| present | past | ||||||
| participle | backende | — | |||||
backen