Wiktionary

geest

See also: Geest

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from German Geest[1] (from Low German güst (“dry, infertile”, adjective), from Middle Low German gēst (“dry, elevated”, literally “cracking, gaping, yawning”)) or Dutch geest (from Middle Dutch geest, from Old Dutch *gēst (“dry, infertile”)), in either case a substantivization of what was initially an adjective, Proto-Germanic *gais- (“infertile”), ultimately probably from *gīnan. See also German gähnen.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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geest (plural geests)

  1. A type of slightly raised landscape, with sandy and gravelly soils, that occurs in the plains of Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark.
    • 1827, Georges Cuvier, translated by Robert Jameson, Essay on the Theory of the Earth:
      the waves, beating agaiņst the geest, were thence repelled upon the marsch.

References

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  1. ^ “geest”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Dutch

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Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɣeːst/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: geest
  • Rhymes: -eːst

Etymology 1

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From Middle Dutch gêest, from Old Dutch gēst, geist, from Proto-West Germanic *gaist, from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeysd-, *ǵʰisd- (“anger, agitation”).

Cognates
Cognate with German Geist, West Frisian geast, English ghost, Swedish gast.

Noun

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geest m (plural geesten, diminutive geestje n)

  1. ghost, spirit, immaterial being
    Het oude kasteel wordt bewoond door spoken en geesten.
    The old castle is inhabited by ghosts and spirits.
    Volgens de legende waart de geest van een oude koning nog steeds rond in het kasteel.
    According to the legend, the spirit of an ancient king still roams around in the castle.
    Geloof jij dat er een geest in een wonderlamp kan zitten?
    Do you believe that a genie can reside in a magical lamp?
  2. mind, mental consciousness
    Hij had een verwarde geest en kon zich moeilijk concentreren.
    He had a confused mind and had difficulty concentrating.
    De filosoof onderzocht de werking van de geest en het bewustzijn.
    The philosopher studied the workings of the mind and consciousness.
    Soaps kijken en smartlappen luisteren is schadelijk voor de geest.
    Watching soap operas and listening to sentimental pop ditties is pernicious for the mind.
  3. mindset, mentality
    Om succesvol te zijn in de sport, is een positieve geest essentieel.
    To be successful in sports, a positive mindset is essential.
    Het team had een winnende geest en gaf nooit op.
    The team had a winning mentality and never gave up.
    Het is in de geest van deze tijd om vooral te genieten van het leven.
    Focusing on enjoying life is part of the modern mindset.
  4. life force, vital energy
    Volgens sommige culturen heeft elke persoon een innerlijke geest die het lichaam verlaat bij de dood.
    According to some cultures, each person has an inner life force that leaves the body at death.
  5. (alchemy) spirit, gas, distillate, essence
    In alchemie wordt de term geest gebruikt om het vluchtige deel van een stof aan te duiden.
    In alchemy, the term spirit is used to refer to the volatile part of a substance.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • Afrikaans: gees
  • Negerhollands: geest

Etymology 2

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From Middle Dutch geest, from Old Dutch *gēst, a nominalization of an adjective that meant “dry, infertile”, a derivation of Proto-Germanic *gais- (“infertile”), a root probably meaning "cracking, breaking, gaping;" see *gīnan.[1] See also German gähnen.

Cognate to West Frisian gaast, geast (as in the Dutch/Frisian place name Gaasterland) and German Geest (which is borrowed from Low German). Other derivations of *gais- are: Old English gæsne (“infertility, poverty”), Old French gast (“waste”) and Icelandic gisinn (“dry”).[2][3]

Noun

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geest m (plural geesten, diminutive geestje n)

  2. heath, heathland
Derived terms
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toponyms

References

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  1. ^ “geest” in Duden online
  2. ^ Friedrich Kluge (1989) “Geest”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
  3. ^ J. de Vries & F. de Tollenaere, "Etymologisch Woordenboek", Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, Utrecht, 1986 (14de druk)

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Verb

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geest

  1. Alternative form of gesten (“to read poetry”)
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