Originalformen

Originalformen is a German term meaning “original forms” and is used to describe the canonical or reference forms of words or items in linguistic, philological, and lexicographic contexts. The plural form reflects that several base forms may exist for a word family or for different entries in a corpus or dictionary. In practice, original forms are often equated with the lemma or headword—the base form chosen as the entry point for analysis, annotation, and indexing.

In linguistics and lexicography, the original form serves as the anchor for analyzing a word’s inflectional or derivational variants. By grouping inflected forms (such as different verb tenses or noun cases) under a single original form, researchers can study morphology, syntax, and word families more efficiently. The specific original form chosen can vary by language and by lexicon design; for example, many languages select a lemma that is easily recognizable and serves as a stable reference across dialects and registers. In German, genuine verb lemmas are commonly derived from the infinitive, while noun lemmas often align with the nominative singular.

The term is also used in historical linguistics and philology to refer to the earliest attested or most authentic form of a word in a manuscript or text, though this usage can be context-dependent and less standardized. In broader humanities contexts, originalformen may denote the original, unaltered versions of works, artifacts, or designs before later revisions or reproductions, depending on the field and purpose of study.

See also: lemma, headword, citation form, stem, inflection, morphology.