Scharte

German

Etymology

From Middle High German scharte f, also schart f or m, from the adjective Old High German *scart (“wounded, cut up”, attested in liduscart), from Proto-Germanic *skardaz. Related with German scheren (“to shear”).

Cognate with Middle Dutch schaert m, Middle Low German schārt n, Old English sceard n, Old Norse skarð n. All possibly from Proto-Germanic *skardą, although the deviating genders in Dutch and High German may suggest independent derivations from the adjective. See English sherd, shard for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃaʁtə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: scharrte

Noun

Scharte f (genitive Scharte, plural Scharten)

1. (now fairly rare) notch, cut, cleft

   Synonyms: Kerbe, Spalte, Einschnitt

2. (architecture) embrasure
3. (blacksmithing) a cut, defect in a blade
4. (botany) saw-wort (Serratula gen. et spp.)

Declension

Declension of Scharte [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Scharte	die	Scharten
genitive	einer	der	Scharte	der	Scharten
dative	einer	der	Scharte	den	Scharten
accusative	eine	die	Scharte	die	Scharten

Derived terms

• Alpenscharte
• eine Scharte auswetzen
• Hasenscharte
• schartig
• Schießscharte

 

Related terms

• Deichschart (less often Deichscharte)

Further reading

• “Scharte” in Duden online
• “Scharte” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Scharte” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.