Topf

German

Etymology

From Middle High German topf, from Old High German *topf, from Proto-West Germanic *dopp, from Proto-Germanic *duppaz (“hollow, bowl”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”). Cognate with Dutch dop (“little cup, thimble”), Low German Dopp (“shell, pod, bowl”), Saterland Frisian Dop (“shell, pod, bowl”), English dop (“cup in which a diamond is cut”).

Both in historic sources and modern dialects, the word is almost entirely restricted to East Central German (generally as Topp, in the very south as Topf). West Central German only shows a neuter derivative in Middle High German düppen (whence e.g. Luxembourgish Dëppen). Nevertheless it must have existed in Old High German as the a-mutation assures inheritance. Beginning with Luther's Bible it established itself as the general standard term for “pot”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔpf/, ,

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Topf m (strong, genitive Topfes or Topfs, plural Töpfe, diminutive Töpfchen n or Töpflein n)

1. pot (flat-bottomed, open-topped vessel, especially for cooking food)

   Synonyms: (northern) Pott, (southern) Hafen

Declension

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• töpfern
• Töpfer

Related terms

• Topfdeckel
• Topfgriff
• Topfhenkel
• Topflappen
• Topfschlagen (“Hit the Pot, a children's game”)
• Topfblume

Related terms

• zerdeppern

Further reading

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