Gevatter

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German

Etymology

From Middle High German gevatere, gevater, gefater, from Old High German gifatero (“godfather”), from Proto-West Germanic *gafaderjō, equivalent to ge- +‎ Vater. Cognate with Old English ġefædera (“godfather”), Middle Low German gevādere, Dutch gevader. Compare also Medieval Latin compater. It is unclear whether the Germanic words were calqued from the Latin, or vice versa (compare Late Latin compāniō).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Hyphenation: Ge‧vat‧ter
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Gevatter m (strong or mixed, genitive Gevatters or (uncommon) Gevattern, plural Gevatter or (uncommon) Gevattern, feminine Gevatterin)

  1. (archaic) godfather
    Synonym: Taufpate
    Gevatter Tod ― Death (literally, “godfather death”)
    • 1835, Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod ‎, 1. Akt, 1. Szene:
      Und wenn auch! - den ehrlichen Leuten kann man Geld leihen, man kann bei ihnen Gevatter stehn und seine Töchter an sie verheiraten, aber das ist alles!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1896, Theodor Fontane, chapter 24, in Effi Briest‎, Berlin: F. Fontane & Co.:
      Effi lachte herzlich und drückte dem Großvater in spe zunächst den Wunsch aus, bei beiden Enkeln zu Gevatter geladen zu werden, ließ dann aber die Familienthemata fallen
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (by extension) friend, neighbour (especially as a term of address)

Declension

Declension of Gevatter
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Gevatter die Gevatter, Gevattern
genitive eines des Gevatters, Gevattern der Gevatter, Gevattern
dative einem dem Gevatter den Gevattern
accusative einen den Gevatter die Gevatter, Gevattern

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “Gevatter” in Duden online
  • “Gevatter” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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