Zipf

English

Etymology

German surname, from the noun Zipf (“peak, corner, point”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzɪpf/, /ˈzɪf/

Proper noun

Zipf

1. A surname from German.

Derived terms

• Zipf curve
• Zipf distribution
• Zipfian
• Zipf relation
• Zipf's law

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German zipf, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tuppijô, *tuppijǭ (“tip”), a diminutive of *tuppaz.

Cognate with Dutch tip, Saterland Frisian Tip, English tip, Icelandic typpi. Also compare Zopf and Zapfen.

Noun

Zipf m (strong, genitive Zipfes or Zipfs, plural Zipfe)

1. (Bavaria, Austria) tip, peak, corner
2. (Austria, obsolete) bore (boring person)

Declension

Declension of Zipf [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Zipf	die	Zipfe
genitive	eines	des	Zipfes, Zipfs	der	Zipfe
dative	einem	dem	Zipf, Zipfe1	den	Zipfen
accusative	einen	den	Zipf	die	Zipfe

¹Now rare, see notes.

Related terms

• Zipfel

Descendants

• → Czech: cyp

Proper noun

Zipf m or f (proper noun, surname, masculine genitive Zipfs or (with an article) Zipf, feminine genitive Zipf, plural Zipfs)

1. a habitational surname

Further reading

• “Zipf” in Duden online

Etymology 2

Noun

Zipf m (strong, genitive Zipfes or Zipfs, no plural)

1. (Central Germany, Southern Germany) pip (respiratory disease of birds)

Declension

Declension of Zipf [sg-only, masculine, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Zipf
genitive	eines	des	Zipfes, Zipfs
dative	einem	dem	Zipf, Zipfe1
accusative	einen	den	Zipf

¹Now rare, see notes.

Further reading

• “Zipf” in Duden online