Geißel

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: Geissel

German

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /ˈɡaɪ̯səl/
  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

[edit]

From Middle High German geisel(e), from Old High German geisila (whip). Cognate with Dutch gesel. The spelling with -ß- reflects sporadic devoicing; compare the frequent pronunciations of niesen or Preiselbeere. Its use for distinguishing between Geißel and Geisel (hostage) is an arbitrary convention, which fully established itself only around 1900. (The two words are not related but became merged in Early Modern German.)

Noun

[edit]

Geißel f (genitive Geißel, plural Geißeln)

  1. (Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) Synonym of Peitsche (whip)
  2. (elsewhere only) scourge (whip used for flagellation)
  3. (figurative) scourge (persistent source of harm, especially when seen as divine punishment)
    Synonyms: Plage, Heimsuchung
  4. (biology) flagellum
Declension
[edit]
Derived terms
[edit]

Etymology 2

[edit]

See the main lemma.

Noun

[edit]

Geißel f (genitive Geißel, plural Geißeln) or
Geißel m (strong, genitive Geißels, plural Geißel)

  1. Obsolete form (now misspelling) of Geisel (hostage)

Further reading

[edit]
  • Geißel” in Duden online
  • Geißel” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache