Gift
German edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German gift f (“gift, present”), Old High German gift f (“gift”), from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz, which is a derivation of *gebaną (“to give”). Cognate with English gift.[1]
The word has been used as a euphemism for "poison" since Old High German, a semantic loan from Late Latin dosis (“dose”), from Ancient Greek δόσις (dósis, “gift; dose of medicine”). The original meaning "gift" has disappeared in contemporary Standard German, but remains in some compounds (see Mitgift). Compare also Dutch gift (“gift”) alongside gif (“poison”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Gift n (strong, genitive Giftes or Gifts, plural Gifte)
- poison; toxin; venom
- 2010, Der Spiegel[1], number 31/2010, page 49:
- Der Mann ist Toxikologe, ein Experte für Gift. Er arbeitet für ein Pharma-Unternehmen.
- The man is a toxicologist, an expert on poison. He works for a pharmaceutical business.
Usage notes edit
- While the word is neuter in contemporary German, it may also occasionally be masculine in older texts.
- Note that Gift is a false friend and does not mean "gift". The general word for "gift" is Geschenk.
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
- auf etwas Gift nehmen können
- Bakteriengift
- Bienengift
- Blutgift
- Fliegengift
- Gegengift
- Genussgift
- Giftanschlag
- giftarm
- Giftattentat
- Giftbecher
- Giftcocktail
- Giftdrüse
- gifteln
- giftempfindlich
- giften
- giftfest
- Giftfisch
- giftfrei
- Giftgas
- giftgrün
- gifthaltig
- Gifthauch
- giftig
- Giftigkeit
- Giftköder
- Giftkröte
- Giftküche
- Giftler
- Giftmischer
- Giftmord
- Giftmüll
- Giftnatter
- Giftnudel
- Giftpfeil
- Giftpflanze
- Giftpilz
- Giftschlange
- Giftschrank
- Giftschwamm
- Giftspinne
- Giftspritze
- Giftstachel
- Giftstoff
- Gifttier
- Gifttrank
- Giftwirkung
- Giftwolke
- Giftzahn
- Giftzwerg
- Heilgift
- Insektengift
- Keimgift
- Klimagift
- Kontaktgift
- Lebergift
- Leichengift
- Mitgift
- Mitosegift
- Mordgift
- Nervengift
- Pfeilgift
- Pflanzengift
- Pilzgift
- Rattengift
- Rauschgift
- Schlangengift
- Suchtgift
- Umweltgift
- vergiften
- Zellgift
Noun edit
Gift f (genitive Gift, plural Giften)
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- ^ Friedrich Kluge (1989) “Gift”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
Further reading edit
Hunsrik edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Gift n (plural Gifte)
- poison
- Sie hod Gift genomm.
- She took poison.
- Bass uff, das is Gift.
- Beware, this is poison.
Further reading edit
Pennsylvania German edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. Compare German Gift, Dutch gif.
Noun edit
Gift n
- poison
- poison ivy, ivy poisoning