# Gift
## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German gift f (“gift, present”), Old High German gift f (“gift”), from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, 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 Old High German, a semantic loan from Late Latin dosis (“dose”), from Ancient Greek δόσις (dósis, “gift; dose of medicine”). The original meaning "gift" has disappeared in contemporary Standard German, but remains in some compounds (see Mitgift). Compare also Dutch gift (“gift”) alongside gif (“poison”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɡɪft/
* Rhymes: -ɪft
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

Gift n (strong, genitive Giftes or Gifts, plural Gifte)
* poison; toxin; venom
** 2010, Der Spiegel‎, number 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.
* Note that Gift is a false friend and does not mean "gift". The general word for "gift" is Geschenk.

#### Declension

$^1$Now rare, see notes.

#### Derived terms

* auf etwas Gift nehmen können
* Bakteriengift
* Bienengift
* Blutgift
* Fliegengift
* Gegengift
* Genussgift
* Giftanschlag
* giftarm
* Giftattentat
* Giftbecher
* Giftcocktail
* Giftdrüse
* gifteln
* giftempfindlich
* giften
* giftfest
* Giftfisch
* giftfrei
* Giftgas
* giftgrün
* gifthaltig
* Gifthauch
* giftig
* Giftigkeit
* Giftköder
* Giftkröte
* Giftküche
* Giftler
* Giftmischer
* Giftmord
* Giftmüll
* Giftnatter
* Giftnudel
* Giftpfeil
* Giftpflanze
* Giftpilz
* Giftschlange
* Giftschrank
* Giftschwamm
* Giftspinne
* Giftspritze
* Giftstachel
* Giftstoff
* Gifttier
* Gifttrank
* Giftwirkung
* Giftwolke
* Giftzahn
* Giftzwerg
* Heilgift
* Insektengift
* Keimgift
* Klimagift
* Kontaktgift
* Lebergift
* Leichengift
* Mitgift
* Mitosegift
* Mordgift
* Nervengift
* Pfeilgift
* Pflanzengift
* Pilzgift
* Rattengift
* Rauschgift
* Schlangengift
* Suchtgift
* Umweltgift
* vergiften
* Zellgift

### Noun

Gift f (genitive Gift, plural Giften)
* (obsolete) gift; something given
    Synonym: Gabe

#### Derived terms

* Mitgift

#### Descendants

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

### References

* ↑ Friedrich Kluge (1989) “Gift”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN

### Further reading

* “Gift” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “Gift” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* Gift on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{de}$
* “Gift” in Duden online
* “Gift” in Duden online

## Hunsrik
### Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kift/

### Noun

Gift n (plural Gifte)
* 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

From Middle High German and Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. Compare German Gift, Dutch gif.

### Noun

Gift n
* poison
* poison ivy, ivy poisoning