ursprünglichen

Ursprünglichen is the inflected form of the German adjective ursprünglich, which means original, primitive, or originally in the sense of at the origin or from the beginning. The form appears when the adjective is used attributively and must agree with its noun in gender, number, and case.

Grammatical use and endings: In contexts where a definite determiner (der, die, das, die, dem, den) or another determiner with weak declension is present, adjectives take the ending -en in many common forms. For example: der ursprünglichen Idee (feminine singular genitive), dem ursprünglichen Mann (masculine singular dative), des ursprünglichen Hauses (neuter singular genitive), die ursprünglichen Pläne (plural nominative or accusative). Thus, -en is a frequent ending for bisher discussed combinations, including dative singular and plural forms and feminine/genitive singular.

Meaning and nuance: ursprünglichen can describe something as being from the original form or stage, rather than a later modification, or as belonging to the original conception. It is often used in historical or descriptive contexts to contrast with later changes. The adverbial form, ursprünglich, means originally or initially, and is used independently of noun inflection.

Etymology: The adjective derives from the prefix Ur- meaning original or primitive, and is related to the noun Ursprung (origin). The combination expresses the notion of being at the source or in a pristine state.

Usage notes: The exact ending of ursprünglichen depends on the noun’s gender, number, and case, and whether a definite determiner precedes it. It is common in expressions like die ursprünglichen Pläne, den ursprünglichen Einwohnern, or der ursprünglichen Idee.

Examples: Die ursprünglichen Pläne wurden umgesetzt. Die ursprüngliche Idee blieb unverändert. Dem ursprünglichen Mann wurden neue Aufgaben zugeteilt.