Gespann

German

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɡəˈʃpan/
Rhymes: -an
Hyphenation: Ge‧spann

Etymology 1

From Middle High German gespan (“clasp; frame, welt”), from Old High German gespan (“clasp; chain, bracelet”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + *spannaną. Equivalent to ge- (collective prefix) +‎ spannen (“to span, yoke”).

Cognate with Middle Dutch gespan (“clasp; pair; troup”), whence modern Dutch gespan, and Old English ġespan (“joining, fastening together; clasp; yoke”), whence probably modern English span (“pair of horses”). The original sense present in all of the old languages seems to be “clasp, device for joining”. The sense “people or animals joined together” apparently only since the 16th century in High German, but in Dutch at least since the 14th century.

Noun

Gespann n (strong, genitive Gespannes or Gespanns, plural Gespanne)

team (of yoked animals)
a group of close partners, especially a pair of two
horse and cart, horse and carriage; oxcart
a caravan of connected vehicles
(Switzerland) a lath framework
Synonym: Lattengerüst

Declension

Declension of Gespann [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Gespann	die	Gespanne
genitive	eines	des	Gespannes, Gespanns	der	Gespanne
dative	einem	dem	Gespann, Gespanne¹	den	Gespannen
accusative	ein	das	Gespann	die	Gespanne

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Hungarian ispán, from a Slavic language.

Noun

Gespann m (strong, genitive Gespannes or Gespanns, plural Gespanne)

Alternative form of Gespan

Declension

Declension of Gespann [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Gespann	die	Gespanne
genitive	eines	des	Gespannes, Gespanns	der	Gespanne
dative	einem	dem	Gespann, Gespanne¹	den	Gespannen
accusative	einen	den	Gespann	die	Gespanne

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

References

“Gespann” in Duden online
“Gespann” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache