geläufigsten

Geläufigsten is the superlative form of the German adjective geläufig, which means well known, familiar, or widely used. The word is used to indicate the highest degree of familiarity or commonness within a given context, such as language, procedures, or discourse. In written German, geläufigsten appears in plural attributive position (die geläufigsten Redewendungen) and as the adverbial superlative (am geläufigsten).

Usage and nuance:

Geläufig describes things that are natural, idiomatic, or widely understood rather than rare or technical. The superlative geläufigsten points to the most frequently encountered items or expressions in a particular corpus, community, or field. It is common in linguistic discussion, education, journalism, and analyses of language usage.

Examples:

- Die geläufigsten Redewendungen im Deutschen sind gut bekannt.

- In der Redewendung gehören diese Formulierungen zu den geläufigsten Ausdrücken.

- In der Mathematik sind die geläufigsten Symbole Standardzeichen.

- Diese Begriffe werden am geläufigsten verwendet.

Related terms:

- Geläufigkeit (the noun form for the degree of familiarity or common usage)

- Gebräuchlich or üblich (synonyms with slight nuance; gebräuchlich emphasizes common practice, while geläufig emphasizes idiomatic familiarity)

Notes:

The exact degree implied by geläufigsten depends on context, dialect, and the underlying corpus. The term is primarily used in formal or semi-formal German, including linguistic and descriptive writing.