Gift

Betekenis (English)

poison; toxin; venom

Synonyms

Giftstoff

Toxin

Toxikum

giftig

Medikament

💊

Medizin

💊

Narkotikum

Schaden

Unheil

Unkraut

Zorn

💢

toxisch

Übel

wasserlöslicher Giftstoff

giftige Substanz

Rattengift

schädliche Chemikalie

toxische Substanz

Arznei

💊

Teufelszeug

Boshaftigkeit

Dünger

Uitgespreek as (IPA)

/ɡɪft/

Etimologie (English)

Inherited from Middle High German: gift

Inherited from Old High German: gift

Cognate with Engels: gift

Cognate with Nederlands: gift

In summary

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.
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”).