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
- IPA(key): /ɡɪft/
- Rhymes: -ɪft
Audio (file)
Noun
Gift n (strong, genitive Giftes or Gifts, plural Gifte)
- poison; toxin; venom
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 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.
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 31/2010, page 49:
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
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | das | Gift | die | Gifte |
| genitive | eines | des | Giftes, Gifts | der | Gifte |
| dative | einem | dem | Gift, Gifte1 | den | Giften |
| accusative | ein | das | Gift | die | Gifte |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
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)
- (obsolete) gift; something given
- Synonym: Gabe
Derived terms
- Mitgift
Descendants
- Danish: gift (“poison”)
- → Faroese: gift
- Saterland Frisian: Gift
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
- Online Hunsrik Dictionary
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