Heft

See also: heft, hëft, and Hëft

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /hɛft/
  • (Germany)
    (file)
  • (Austria)
    (file)
    IPA(key): /das‿ˈhɛft/

Etymology 1

18th-century backformation from heften (“to fasten”), from *haftijaną (“to bind, secure”).

Alternative forms
  • H. (abbreviation, chiefly in context)

Noun

Heft n (strong, genitive Heftes or Hefts, plural Hefte, diminutive Heftchen n)

  1. notebook, writing booklet, cahier, composition book (book in which notes or memoranda are written)
  2. notepad, writing pad (pad of paper on which one jots down notes)
  3. exercise book (booklet for students, containing problems and exercises, or blank pages for writing answers)
  4. number, issue (single edition of a periodical publication)
  5. magazine (non-academic periodical publication)
  6. comic (magazine that uses sequences of drawings to tell a story or series of stories)
Declension
Declension of Heft [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Heft die Hefte
genitive eines des Heftes, Hefts der Hefte
dative einem dem Heft, Hefte1 den Heften
accusative ein das Heft die Hefte

1Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms
  • Aufsatzheft (“composition book”)
  • Rechenheft
  • Schulheft (“exercise book, composition book used in school”)
  • Schreibheft
Descendants
  • → Kashubian: hëft

Etymology 2

From Middle High German hefte, from Old High German hefti, from Proto-West Germanic *haftī, from Proto-Germanic *haftiją (“handle, grip”). Cognate with Dutch heft, English haft.

Noun

Heft n (strong, genitive Heftes or Hefts, plural Hefte)

  1. (literary, historical, specialist or regional, widely obsolete) haft; handle (of a weapon or certain tools)
Usage notes
  • In large parts of Germany, this word is unknown even to well educated native speakers. Even the common expression das Heft in der Hand haben/halten (“to be in charge”, literally “to hold the haft in one's hand”) is interpreted as a derivative of etymology 1.
Declension
Declension of Heft [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Heft die Hefte
genitive eines des Heftes, Hefts der Hefte
dative einem dem Heft, Hefte1 den Heften
accusative ein das Heft die Hefte

1Now rare, see notes.

Further reading

Hunsrik

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /heft/

Noun

Heft n (plural Hefte or Hefter, diminutive Heftche)

  1. notebook

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

IPA(key): [hæft]

Noun

Heft ? (plural Hefter)

  1. notebook

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German hefte, from Old High German hefti, from Proto-West Germanic *haftī, from Proto-Germanic *haftiją (“handle, grip”). Compare German Heft, Dutch heft, English haft.

Noun

Heft n

  1. hilt

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From German Heft.

Noun

Heft n (plural Hefta)

  1. notebook
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