English
ansatz
Ansatz comes from German Ansatz, from ansetzen ‘to set, to place, ready’, and ultimately from Old High German anasezzen.
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050anasezzen
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350anesetzen
- Germanc. 1650–presentansetzen‘to set, to place, ready’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentAnsatz
- Englishearliest quotation 2011ansatz
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050anasezzen
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350anesetzen
- Germanc. 1650–presentansetzen‘to set, to place, ready’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentAnsatz
- Englishearliest quotation 2011ansatz
Earliest quotation: 2011, Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw: “In such cases, scientists often make an ansatz, an…”
Every English word from Old High German anasezzen
Today it means
noun A mathematical assumption used to describe a certain phenomenon, posited in order to help provisionally solve an equation or other problem.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old High German anasezzen / ansatz