Gift
German
Etymology
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
Noun
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
- 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
Derived terms
- 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
Gift f (genitive Gift, plural Giften)
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- ^ 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
- “Gift” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Gift” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- Gift on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
- “Gift” in Duden online
- “Gift” in Duden online
Hunsrik
Etymology
From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /kift/
Noun
Gift n (plural Gifte)
- poison
- Sie hod Gift genomm.
- She took poison.
- Bass uff, das is Gift.
- Beware, this is poison.
Further reading
Pennsylvania German
Etymology
From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. Compare German Gift, Dutch gif.
Noun
Gift n
- poison
- poison ivy, ivy poisoning