FromMiddle High Germanplundern,plunderen, fromMiddle Low Germanplunderen,plünderen,plünren, fromMiddle Low Germanplunder,plonder(“robbery, plunder", originally "thing, stuff”), related toMiddle Low Germanplunde,plünde(“junk, stuff, rags, old clothes”), of obscure ultimate origin. This is first attested in medieval records, which according to Gijsseling, is therefore too late to be considered a substrate word.[1] Due to the lack of obvious cognates in other languages from which it would have been loaned, it could have developed as some slang word inLower Saxony/theLow Countries.
CompareMiddle Low Germanplundich(“raggedy, tattered, shabby”). Cognate withDutchplunderen,West Frisianplonderje, and (by borrowing from Early Modern German)Englishplunder. Related also toGermanPlunder(“stuff”).
plündern (weak,third-person singular presentplündert,past tenseplünderte,past participlegeplündert,auxiliaryhaben)
| infinitive | plündern | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | plündernd | ||||
| past participle | geplündert | ||||
| auxiliary | haben | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ichplündre ichplündere ichplünder | wirplündern | i | ichplündere ichplündre | wirplündern |
| duplünderst | ihrplündert | duplünderest duplündrest | ihrplünderet ihrplündret | ||
| erplündert | sieplündern | erplündere erplündre | sieplündern | ||
| preterite | ichplünderte | wirplünderten | ii | ichplünderte1 | wirplünderten1 |
| duplündertest | ihrplündertet | duplündertest1 | ihrplündertet1 | ||
| erplünderte | sieplünderten | erplünderte1 | sieplünderten1 | ||
| imperative | plündre (du) plünder (du) plündere (du) | plündert (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative inwürde normally preferred.