Unhold

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: unhold

German

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle High German unholde, from Old High German unholdo, from Proto-West Germanic *unholþō, from Proto-Germanic *unhulþô.

The regional sense “rascal” is chiefly from Low German (Middle Low German unholt). It is possible that the word was influenced here by unrelated holden (to hold), thus with the notion of “someone unheld, ungovernable”. Compare the synonym Unband.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /ˈʊnˌhɔlt/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

[edit]

Unhold m (strong, genitive Unholdes or Unholds, plural Unholde)

  1. (archaic, popular mythology) a fiend, monster, evil sprite
  2. (regional, now especially Switzerland) a thug, felon, especially a sex offender
  3. (regional, parts of northern and western Germany, mild or humorous) a rascal, especially a child or animal that causes one trouble
    Na, du alter Unhold, wie geht’s?So, you old rascal, what’s up?
    Und wie macht sich dein neuer Jagdhund? – Das is’n ganz schöner Unhold, du!
    How’s your new hound doing? – He’s a right rascal, I tell you!
    • 1883, Theodor Fontane, Graf Petöfy, 2nd edition, published 1890, page 43:
      „Sieh nur, Franziska, sie hat meinen besten Fächer genommen, ein Geschenk von Graf Pejevics von der letzten Redoute her. Ein wahres Prachtstück, ich meine den Fächer. Und nun hantiert der kleine Unhold damit, als ob es ein Trommelstock wäre... Lysinka!“
      “Look, Franziska, she’s taken my best fan, a present from Count Pejevics, from the last ball. A real beauty, I mean the fan. And now the little rascal is handling it as if it were a drumstick... Lysinka!”

Declension

[edit]

See also

[edit]