Pfand

German

Etymology

From Middle High German phant, from Old High German phant. Only found in continental Germanic languages (Dutch pand, and Swedish pant) and of unresolved origin, various Latin sources have been suggested: Latin pāctum (“agreement”) under the supposition of a Low Latin *pantum from *panctum, or a pondus (“weight”) borrowed so early that it preceded the change from Indo-European o to a in Germanic.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /pfant/ (standard)
  • IPA(key): /fant/ (northern Germany, central Germany)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ant
  • Homophone: fand (regional)

Noun

Pfand n or m (strong, genitive Pfandes or Pfands, plural Pfänder)

  1. pawn
  2. pledge
  3. can or bottle deposit
    Hyponyms: Becherpfand, Flaschenpfand, Dosenpfand

Usage notes

The commonly used gender for the noun is neuter in Germany and Switzerland and masculine in Austria. In recent years the masculine form has seen an increase in usage in Germany, especially in the East.[1]

Declension
Declension of Pfand [neuter // masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das, der Pfand die Pfänder
genitive eines des Pfandes, Pfands der Pfänder
dative einem dem Pfand, Pfande1 den Pfändern
accusative ein, einen das, den Pfand die Pfänder

1Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

References
  1. Matthias Schmidt (2015 November 9) “Die Deutschen haben entschieden: Es heißt DIE E-Mail”, in YouGov: What the world thinks‎ (in German), retrieved 2021-07-26: “Während in der alten Bundesrepublik drei von vier Befragten (73 Prozent) „das Pfand“ sagen und nur jeder Vierte „der Pfand“, liegen die beiden Artikel im Osten fast gleichauf (der: 47 Prozent, das: 51 Prozent).”

Further reading
  • “Pfand” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • “Pfand” in Duden online
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