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Oheim. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Oheim, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Oheim in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Oheim you have here. The definition of the word
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German
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle High German and Old High German ōheim, from Proto-West Germanic *auhaim (“maternal uncle”). See also dialectal English eam.
Pronunciation
Noun
Oheim m (strong, genitive Oheims or Oheimes, plural Oheime)
- (archaic) uncle
- Synonym: Onkel
1843, Heinrich Heine, “Brief an Julius Campe”, in Sämmtliche Werke, volume 20, Hamburg: Hofmann und Campe, published 1863, pages 364–365:Die Reise hat meinen Schädel ziemlich erschöpft, und (was Niemand glaubt) ich habe dort meinen Oheim für keinen Schilling in Anspruch genommen. Wir haben uns wechselseitig mit der größten Delikatesse behandelt.- The journey rather exhausted my brain, and while there (though no one believes it) I didn't ask my uncle for a single schilling. We treated each other with the utmost delicacy.
1880, Johanna Spyri, Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre:Auch wusste die Barbel gar nicht, warum der Alte von allen Leuten im Dörfli der Alm-Öhi genannt wurde, er konnte doch nicht der wirkliche Oheim von den sämtlichen Bewohnern sein; da aber alle ihn so nannten, tat sie es auch und nannte den Alten nie anders als Öhi, was die Aussprache der Gegend für Oheim ist.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- (obsolete) maternal uncle; brother or brother-in-law of one’s mother
- Synonym: Onkel mütterlicherseits
Usage notes
- The usual form was Oheim in formal writing, but Ohm in speech. Both are now equally archaic outside dialects.
Declension
Further reading
- “Oheim” in Duden online
- J. C. Adelung (1793–1801) “Oheim”, in Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart (in German), 2nd edition
- “Oheim” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache