Geschlecht

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word Geschlecht. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word Geschlecht, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say Geschlecht in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word Geschlecht you have here. The definition of the word Geschlecht will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofGeschlecht, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle High German geslechte, from Old High German gislahti, a collective formation from slahta, from Proto-Germanic *slahtō, related to *slahaną (“to strike, hit”) (DWDS).

Cognate with Dutch geslacht, Middle Low German geslechte, Italian schiatta, Polish szlachta. The Germanic root is that of Schlag, schlagen (“strike, beat”). The modern sense developed among this root's descendants first in Menschenschlag (“group of people characterised by common traits”), in which the underlying meaning of Schlag is "strike of coinage".

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡəˈʃlɛçt/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛçt

Noun

Geschlecht n (strong, genitive Geschlechts or Geschlechtes, plural Geschlechter or (obsolete) Geschlechte)

  1. sex
  2. (grammar) gender
    • 1835, Theodor Heinsius, Sprachlehre der Deutschen, Berlin, page 85:
      Die Deutsche Sprache ordnet, wie jede andere, ihre Substantive nach gewissen Geschlechtern, deren wir drei haben: 1) das männliche (masculinum), 2) das weibliche (femininum), 3) das sächliche (neutrum). Kommen die beiden ersten Geschlechter einem Worte zugleich zu, so sagt man: sein Geschlecht ist ein Doppelgeschlecht oder ein gemeinschaftliches (commune); kommen ihm alle drei zu, so ist es generis omnis, oder ein Allgeschlecht.
      Like every other language, German orders its nouns into certain genders, of which we have three: 1) the masculine (masculinum), 2) the feminine (femininum), 3) the neuter (neutrum). Where both of the first two genders apply equally to a word, its gender is called a double-gender or a common (commune); where all three apply, it is called generis omnis, or an all-gender.
  3. sex organ
  4. genus, type, race
  5. lineage, generation, family
  6. dynasty, house

Declension

Declension of Geschlecht
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Geschlecht die Geschlechter, Geschlechte2
genitive eines des Geschlechts, Geschlechtes der Geschlechter, Geschlechte2
dative einem dem Geschlecht, Geschlechte1 den Geschlechtern, Geschlechten2
accusative ein das Geschlecht die Geschlechter, Geschlechte2

1Now rare, see notes.
2Obsolete.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Further reading

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia