Trift

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German trift (“driving, floating, acting, way of living”), from Proto-Germanic *driftiz, cognate with English drift. Doublet of Drift. Derived from the verb *drībaną (“to drive”). See treiben for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʁɪft/
• Rhymes: -ɪft

Noun

Trift f (genitive Trift, plural Triften)

1. grassy track, cattle track
2. (poor) pastureland, grazing, sheepwalk
3. log driving, timber floating

Declension

Declension of Trift [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Trift	die	Triften
genitive	einer	der	Trift	der	Triften
dative	einer	der	Trift	den	Triften
accusative	eine	die	Trift	die	Triften

Derived terms

• Alpentrift
• Holztrift
• Koppeltrift
• Schaftrift
• Viehtrift

Related terms

• Triftenblume
• Triftrecht
• Triftweg
• Triftweide
• Triftwurz

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle Low German drift, from Middle Low German drīven. See Low German drieven for more.

Noun

Trift f (genitive Trift, plural Triften)

1. violent stream or swell (of the sea caused by strong winds)
2. drifting (being moved by external powers; most often of a ship)
3. floating debris (being moved by surface currents)

Declension

Declension of Trift [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Trift	die	Triften
genitive	einer	der	Trift	der	Triften
dative	einer	der	Trift	den	Triften
accusative	eine	die	Trift	die	Triften

Synonyms

• (violent stream/drifting): Drift
• (floating debris): Treibgut

Related terms

• Trifteis
• Triftströmung

See also

• triftig

Further reading

• “Trift” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Trift” in Duden online (Etymology 1)
• “Trift” in Duden online (Etymology 2)
• Trift, duden.de (Translations)
• Trift, woerterbuchnetz.de