# Witz
## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”).
Cognate to English wit, archaic Dutch wit, akin to Old Saxon giwit.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vɪt͡s/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

Witz m (strong, genitive Witzes, plural Witze, diminutive Witzchen n)
* joke
    Synonym: Scherz
    über einen Witz lachen ― to laugh at a joke
* (colloquial, chiefly derogatory) joke (something that is not taken seriously due to being very easy, very ineffective, or very arbitrary)
    Die Prüfung ist ein Witz, die besteht wirklich jeder. ― The exam is a joke, literally everyone passes.
* wit, humour
* (colloquial) point, purpose (the central idea or aspect that makes something worthwhile)
    Synonym: Sinn
    Was war jetzt der Witz der ganzen Aktion? ― So what was the point of doing all that?
** 1899, Theodor Fontane, Der Stechling, page 257:Stark ist es, so viel geb' ich zu; aber nicht zu stark. Daß es stark ist, das ist ja eben der Witz von der Sache.It is strong, that much I'll admit; but not too strong. It being strong is exactly the point of all this, after all.

#### Usage notes

* While Witz and Scherz can both be used for statements meant in jest, archetypical jokes consisting of setup and punchline are typically only referred to as a Witz.

#### Declension

$^1$Now rare, see notes.

#### Hyponyms

* Antiwitz
* Blondinenwitz
* Flüsterwitz
* Insiderwitz
* Mantawitz
* Mutterwitz
* Schottenwitz
* Seemannswitz
* Treppenwitz

#### Derived terms

* gewitzt
* vorwitzig
* Witzchen
* Witzelei
* witzeln
* witzig
* Witzigkeit
* Witzling
* witzlos

#### Related terms

* Witzblatt
* Witzbold
* Witzfigur
* Witzseite
* Witzwort

#### Descendants

* → Bulgarian: виц (vic)
* → Danish: vits
* → Finnish: vitsi
* → Hungarian: vicc
* → Low German: Witz
* → Macedonian: виц (vic)
* → Norwegian: vits
* → Saterland Frisian: Wits
* → Serbo-Croatian: vic
* → Polish: wic
* → Silesian: wic
* → Slovene: vic
* → Swedish: vits
* → Ukrainian: віц (vic)

#### See also

* Anekdote
* Kalauer
* Zote
* Gag

### Further reading

* “Witz” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
* “Witz” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “Witz” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
* “Witz” in Duden online
* “Witz” in OpenThesaurus.de
* Witz on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{de}$

## Hunsrik
### Etymology

From Middle High German witze, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vit͡s/

### Noun

Witz m (plural Witz)
* wit
* joke

### Further reading

* Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “Witz”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 177

## Luxembourgish
### Etymology

From Middle High German witze, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją.
Cognate with German Witz, English wit, Dutch wit, Icelandic vit.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /vit͡s/

### Noun

Witz m (plural Witzen or Witzer)
* joke

### Further reading

* Witz in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire