Kirchhof

German

Etymology

From Middle High German kirchhof (“land around a church”). Analyzable as Kirche +‎ Hof. The semantic development is determined by Middle Low German kerkhof, which came to mean “graveyard” because graveyards have traditionally tended to be established around churches. Compare the same in Dutch kerkhof (“graveyard”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪʁçˌhoːf/

• Audio:

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Noun

Kirchhof m (genitive Kirchhofes or Kirchhofs, plural Kirchhöfe)

1. (dated, regional, Northern Germany) graveyard

Synonyms

• Friedhof