Gespenst

German

Etymology

From Middle High German gespenst, gespenste, from Old High German gispensti (“temptation, (devilish) illusion”), from spanan (“to lure, to attract”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɡəˈʃpɛnst/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Gespenst n (strong, genitive Gespenstes or Gespensts, plural Gespenster)

  1. ghost, spectre
    • 1847, Karl Marx et al., Das Kommunistische Manifest:
      Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa – das Gespenst des Kommunismus.
      A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of Communism.

Declension
Declension of Gespenst [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Gespenst die Gespenster
genitive eines des Gespenstes, Gespensts der Gespenster
dative einem dem Gespenst, Gespenste1 den Gespenstern
accusative ein das Gespenst die Gespenster

1Now rare, see notes.

Further reading
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