The verb erweisen is a word with several distinct uses, often appearing in formal contexts and closely connected to expressions of proof, demonstration, and the fulfillment of duty. Erweisen stems from Middle High German erweisen, which already carried meanings related to showing, proving, and presenting something. It is built from the prefix er-, often signaling the completion of an action, and the verb weisen, meaning "to show" or "to indicate," which itself traces back to Old High German wīsan. This origin links erweisen closely to the idea of making something clear or visible through action or evidence.
The core meanings of erweisen include "to prove," "to show," and "to render," depending on the context. When referring to the act of proving something, erweisen is typically used with a reflexive construction, such as in the phrase sich als richtig erweisen, which translates as "to prove to be correct." In this sense, erweisen functions much like a confirmation that a fact or assumption has held up under scrutiny. For example, one might say Die Theorie hat sich als falsch erwiesen, meaning "The theory has proven to be false." Here, erwiesen reflects an outcome that has become evident, usually after a process of examination or over time.
Another common use of erweisen involves offering or rendering something to someone, particularly in formalized social interactions or duties. This often relates to abstract concepts like respect, honor, or service. In such cases, the verb is typically paired with an indirect object and a direct object, as in jemandem einen Dienst erweisen, which means "to render a service to someone." A similar expression is jemandem die Ehre erweisen, meaning "to pay someone the honor." These formulations are common in formal speech, official writing, and ceremonial language. They carry a sense of obligation or respect and are frequently found in contexts where etiquette or protocol is emphasized.
The word erwiesen itself, as the past participle, is also used adjectivally in certain contexts to describe something that has been definitively proven. For example, one might encounter the phrase ein erwiesenermaßen gefährliches Verhalten, meaning "a behavior that has been proven dangerous." In this case, the participle functions almost like an adjective, marking the characteristic of being confirmed or established through evidence.
The related noun der Beweis means "the proof," it shares the same root -weis- and forms the basis of a number of common expressions, such as den Beweis erbringen ("to provide the proof") or ohne Beweis ("without proof"). While der Beweis itself is neutral in register and used in everyday as well as formal contexts, it is closely linked to the more formal tone that erweisen typically carries. Another related noun is die Erweisung, though it is far less common in modern usage. Die Erweisung refers to the act of proving or the rendering of something, as in die Erweisung eines Dienstes ("the rendering of a service"). However, this noun tends to appear primarily in older texts or highly formal documents and is not frequently heard in conversation.
Generally, erweisen and its forms are associated with higher registers of language. It is not typically used in casual conversation, where simpler verbs like zeigen ("to show") or beweisen ("to prove") would suffice. For example, in everyday speech, one would more likely say Es hat sich gezeigt, dass... ("It turned out that...") rather than Es hat sich erwiesen, dass... unless the context specifically calls for a more elevated or precise phrasing. The formality of erweisen makes it particularly common in legal documents, academic writing, public speeches, and news reports, where clear confirmation and demonstration are often being emphasized.