Scheit

German

Etymology

From Middle High German schīt, from Old High German scīt (“log of wood”), from Proto-West Germanic *skīd (“piece of wood”).

Cognate with West Frisian skīd, Old Norse skíð (“plank; billet; ski”), Old English sċīd, English shide, Ancient Greek σχίζα (skhíza, “splinter”), Latvian skaida (“chip”), Lithuanian skëdrà. Doublet of Ski.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃaɪ̯t/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Homophone: scheid

Noun

Scheit (originally) n or (now also) m (strong, genitive Scheits or Scheites, plural Scheite or (alternatively in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) Scheiter)

1. log, billet, stick (of firewood)

   Beim Hacken des Brennholzes flogen die Scheite fast bis zum Dach.

   During the chopping of firewood, the logs went flying and almost hit the roof.

Usage notes

• Most often used in the pleonastic compound Holzscheit.
• Originally neuter, but the masculine is now a widely attestable variant.

Declension

Declension of Scheit [neuter // masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das, der	Scheit	die	Scheite, Scheiter2
genitive	eines	des	Scheits, Scheites	der	Scheite, Scheiter2
dative	einem	dem	Scheit, Scheite1	den	Scheiten, Scheitern2
accusative	ein, einen	das, den	Scheit	die	Scheite, Scheiter2

¹Now rare, see notes.
²Alternatively in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

Further reading

• “Scheit” in Duden online