Gesundheit

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 German 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Related terms 1.3 Pronunciation 1.4 Noun 1.5 Interjection

[edit] German

[edit] Etymology

primarily from German gesund, "sound(cognate with);healthy; unharmed" which itself is from Old High German Gisunt, which is the earliest German source of the post-sneezing interjection. Ultimately steming from a term evolved from the from Proto-Germanic *sundas, from root Proto-Germanic *swen-to- (compare English sound [adj], "healthy, safe, unharmed"; Old English gesund "sound, safe, healthy"; O.S. gisund, Old Frisian sund, Dutch gezond, Swedish sund, Old High German gisunt, "healthy"; also Old English swið "strong", Gothic swinþs "strong"; German geschwind "fast, quick"), with connections in Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic.

[edit] Related terms

• auf ihre Gesundheit ("to your health")
• gesundheit(loanword (decapitalized) into English)
• sound
• Dutch eq.: gezondheid

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡəˈzʊntˌhaɪ̯t/

[edit] Noun

Gesundheit f. (genitive Gesundheit, no plural)

1. health; soundness (sound being adjectival)

[edit] Interjection

Gesundheit!

1. said to somebody who has sneezed, bless you.