Gift

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.[1]

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡɪft/
• Rhymes: -ɪft

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Gift n (strong, genitive Giftes or Gifts, plural Gifte)

1. 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.

• 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.

Gift f (genitive Gift, plural Giften)

1. (obsolete) gift; something given

   Synonym: Gabe

• Mitgift

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

• “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

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

• IPA^(key): /kift/

Gift n (plural Gifte)

1. poison

   Sie hod Gift genomm.

   She took poison.

   Bass uff, das is Gift.

   Beware, this is poison.

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

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

Gift n

1. poison
2. poison ivy, ivy poisoning