Statten

Statten is a German verb that historically means to furnish, equip, or provide something for someone. It also carries a more formal sense of granting or bestowing, especially in official or ceremonial contexts. In modern usage, the prefixed verb ausstatten is far more common and covers most senses of furnishing or equipping (for example, to outfit a room, a team, or a facility). The simple verb statten survives mainly in fixed, formal phrases and in literary prose, such as eine Audienz statten, meaning to grant an audience.

Etymology and usage history: The word originates in older stages of German and is tied to preparations and provisioning. Over time, German tends to prefer ausstatten in everyday contexts, while statten remains a stylistic or historical form used in ceremonial or formal diction.

Grammar and construction: Statten is a transitive verb and appears in fixed expressions with ceremonial or official nuance. In contemporary writing, ausstatten is the common form for furnishing or equipping, with the past participle ausgestattet used in passive constructions or in describing completed provisioning.

Examples: Der König stattete dem Botschafter eine Audienz. Die Stadt hat das Archiv mit neuen Computerarbeitsplätzen ausgestattet. In modern texts, you are more likely to encounter ausstatten when describing equipment or facilities, while statten appears in traditional or ceremonial contexts.

See also: ausstatten, gestatten, Ausstattung.