Heuschrecke

German

Alternative forms

• Heuschreck (Austria, Switzerland)

Etymology

From Middle High German höuschrecke, from Old High German houwiscrecko. Analysable as Heu (“hay”) +‎ schrecken (“to jump up”). Originally a masculine that developed into a feminine under the influence of the frequently used plural (a common development in modern German); compare the southern alternative form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɔʏ̯ˌʃrɛkə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Heuschrecke f (genitive Heuschrecke, plural Heuschrecken)

1. grasshopper; locust

   Synonyms: (informal) Grashüpfer, Heupferd

2. (colloquial, derogatory) an investor who buys enterprises or properties and deals with them in a way that harms the local population
   1. (especially East Germany, historical) an investor from West Germany who did this in the former GDR, exploiting the chaos following German reunification

Derived terms

• Schrecke
• Blauflügelige Ödlandschrecke
• Stabheuschrecke
• Gespenstheuschrecke
• Heuschreckenkapitalismus
• Wanderheuschrecke

Further reading

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