Spesen

Borrowed from Italian spese, plural of spesa (“expense, expenditure”), from Latin expēnsa (“idem”).^[1][2] The word was borrowed into the German merchant's jargon of the 17th century, receiving a native plural ending -n.^[1] Earlier attestations (15th, 16th century) exist in Upper German sources in varying forms such as despessa, spesa, spessa, speise, speiz.^[1] Compare German Speise (“meal, foodstuff”), an earlier borrowing from the same Latin source.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃpeːzən/,

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Spe‧sen

Spesen pl (plural only)

1. charges, costs and expenses incurred in the performance of one′s job that are reimbursed by the employer; (allowable, travel and entertainment/T&E) expenses

   geringe, hohe, horrende Spesen

   low, high, horrendous expenses

   Spesen abrechnen, erstatten, haben, machen

   to submit a claim for, to settle, to have, to make expenses

   die Spesen tragen, übernehmen, zahlen

   to bear/to carry, (to agree) to pay, to pay the costs/expenses

   Spesen eingeschlossen

   charges included

   nach Abzug der Spesen, bei Verzicht auf Spesen

   after deduction of expenses, with waiving of expenses

   Alle angefallenen Spesen wurden ihm erstattet.

   He was reimbursed for any expenses incurred.

   • 1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, Buddenbrooks ‎, Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, page 76; republished as Helen T. Lowe-Porter, transl., 1984:

     Nach Frankfurt wurden als Entschädigungssumme 25000 gezahlt: macht 595000, und so hätten die Dinge bei Vaters Tode gelegen, wären alle diese Spesen nicht im Laufe der Jahre durch rund 200000 Kurantmark Verdienst korrigiert worden.

     Twenty-five thousand to Frankfort, as compensation on the house, leaves five hundred and ninety-five thousand—which is what we should have had at Father′s death if we hadn′t partly made up for all these expenses through years, by a profit of some two hundred thousand marks current.

   • 1947, Hans Fallada: Jeder stirbt für sich allein. Roman. 1st edition, Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin, p. 243 (GoogleBooks; retrieved October 12, 2015)
     Translation:
     2010, Hans Fallada; Michael Hofmann (translator): Every Man Dies Alone. 6th printing, Melville House Publishing, New York, p. 226 (GoogleBooks; retrieved October 12, 2015):

     »Ich möchte noch um einen kleinen Vorschuss gebeten haben, Herr Kommissar. Nein um keinen Verschuss«, verbesserte er sich, »sondern um Geld für meine Spesen«.

     “May I ask the inspector for a little advance first? No, not so much an advance,” Borkhausen corrected himself, “as some cash toward my expenses.”

   • 1977, Anna Seghers: Das siebte Kreuz. Roman. 6th edition, Luchterland, Darmstadt/Neuwied, p. 66 (GoogleBooks; retrieved October 12, 2015):

     »Gut. Zwei Beiträge werden vorausbezahlt. Und einer davon deckt ihnen die Spesen. […]«

     “Good. Two articles will be paid in advance. One of them will cover your expenses. ”

• Aufwand
• Aufwendung
• Ausgabe
• Auslage
• Kosten
• Regien
• Unkosten

• “Spesen” in Duden online
• “Spesen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Spesen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• “Spesen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon