Schippe

German

Alternative forms

• Schüppe (less common spelling, but very common spoken form)

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Low German schüppe. Also a Central German word; compare Luxembourgish Schëpp. Cognate to (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch schop (“spade”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪpə/

Noun

Schippe f (genitive Schippe, plural Schippen)

1. shovel

   Sie hat den Graben ganz allein mit der Schippe ausgehoben.

   She's dug the ditch all on her own with a shovel.

2. (figuratively) used as a typical property of manual labourers

   Es kann nicht jeder Professor sein. Irgendwer muss auch mit der Schippe arbeiten.

   Not everybody can be a professor. Someone must work with a shovel, too.

3. (regional, card games) spade

   Synonym: Pik

Usage notes

• Schippe and Schüppe are preferred to the synonym Schaufel in many parts of northern and central Germany. The latter is, however, more common in formal contexts.

Synonyms

• (shovel): Schaufel

Derived terms

• schippen
• von der Schippe springen

Further reading

• “Schippe” in Duden online

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Pennsylvania German

Noun

Schippe

1. plural of Schipp