Gift

See also: gift and GIFT

German

FWOTD – 25 December 2012

Etymology

From Middle High German gift f (“gift, something given”), Old High German gift f (“gift”), from Proto-Germanic *giftiz, which is a derivation of *gebaną (“to give”). Cognate with English gift.

The word has been used as a euphemism for "poison" since (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old High German, influenced by Late Latin dosis (“dose”), from Ancient Greek δόσις (dósis, “something given; dose of medicine”). The original meaning "gift" has disappeared in contemporary Standard German, but see Mitgift. Compare also Dutch gift (“gift”) alongside gif (“poison”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɪft/
• Rhymes: -ɪft

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Gift n (genitive Gifts or Giftes, plural Gifte)

1. 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.

Usage notes

• While the word is neuter in contemporary German, it may also occasionally be masculine in older texts.

Derived terms

• auf etwas Gift nehmen können
• giftfrei
• giftig
• Gegengift
• Giftpflanze
• Giftpilz
• Giftstoff
• Rauschgift
• vergiften

Noun

Gift f (genitive Gift, plural Giften)

1. (obsolete) gift; something given

Synonyms

• (gift): Gabe

Derived terms

• Mitgift

Descendants

• Danish: gift (“poison”)
  • → Faroese: gift
• Saterland Frisian: Gift

Further reading

• “Gift” in Duden online
• “Gift” in Duden online
• “Gift” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

---

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kift/

Noun

Gift n (plural Gifte)

1. 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

Compare German Gift, Dutch gif.

Noun

Gift n

1. poison
2. poison ivy, ivy poisoning