Gerät

From Middle High German geræte (“consultation; equipment”), from Old High German girāti (“advice, consultation”), derived from rāt (“advice, council”), whence modern German Rat. The semantic development can, theoretically, be explained internally through a path “consultation” → “precaution” → “equipment”. However, the word has without doubt been influenced by another term, at hand in Old High German gireiti (“stuff, equipment”), which is related with bereit (“ready”). Both became homophonous in many Low and Central German dialects; compare Middle Low German gerēde (“consultation; equipment”), which can be cognate with either Old High German word. The Middle High German sources show that the sense “equipment” did indeed spread from the north. Compare Dutch gerei and gereedschap.

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈʁɛːt/, [ɡəˈʁɛːt] (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈʁeːt/ (overall more common; chiefly northern and eastern regions)

• audio (Austria)

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• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ɛːt
• Homophone: gerät

Gerät n (strong, genitive Gerätes or Geräts, plural Geräte)

1. (countable) device, tool, appliance, machine

   Bitte schalten Sie Ihre elektronischen Geräte aus.

   Please turn off your electronic devices.

   einwandfreie Geräte. ― faultless devices.

2. (uncountable) equipment, tools
3. (dated, uncountable) contents, furniture

• gerätemäßig

• “Gerät” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Gerät” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Gerät” in Duden online
• “Gerät” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.