Gift Means Poison in German
A gift is something given freely. The identical German word means poison, for a reason worth knowing.
A gift is something given without payment, and also a natural talent. German *Gift* means poison, and the two are the same word: it once meant simply something given, and narrowed through the sense of a dose administered — a euphemism that hardened into the only meaning. Swedish *gift* means both married and poison, which the language has never resolved. *Don't look a gift horse in the mouth* refers to judging a horse's age by its teeth.
- Something given. *A birthday gift.*
- A talent. *A gift for languages.*
- Poison (German). *Gift.*
- Gifted — talented. *A gifted child.*
- Old Norse — *gift*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gift | A gift. |
| Plural | gifts | Gifts. |
| Verb | gift | Gifted. |
| Adjective | gifted | Gifted. |
| German | Gift | Poison. |
- She brought a small gift.Present.
- He has a gift for numbers.Talent.
- German Gift means poison.Comparison.
Words that split across languages
- Gift — a present in English, poison in German
- Gymnasium — a sports hall in English, a grammar school in German
- Brave — courageous in English, well-behaved in French
- Sensible — reasonable in English, sensitive in French
- These are called false friends
Old Norse *gift*, a gift or good luck, from the root of *give*.
Why does Gift mean poison in German?
It once meant simply something given, and narrowed through the sense of a dose administered. The euphemism became the only meaning.
Where does don't look a gift horse in the mouth come from?
From judging a horse's age by its teeth. Inspecting a present's value is ungracious.