gesundheit

• Gesundheit

From German Gesundheit (literally “health”), from gesund (“healthy”). The adjective is cognate with English sound, from Old English ġesund (“sound, safe, healthy”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈzʊnt.haɪt/, /ɡəˈzʊn.taɪt/
• (Canada, many US accents) IPA^(key): /ɡəˈzʊnt.hʌɪt/, /ɡəˈzʊn.tʌɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

gesundheit

1. (Canada, US) Said to someone who has just sneezed.
   • 1897 July 24, “SNEEZES INTERRUPTED COURT”, in The Albany Law Journal‎, volume 56, number 4, page 67:

     Everybody Was at It, and There Was No One to Say Gesundheit

   • 2000, Abby Frucht, Polly's Ghost: A Novel‎ (Fiction), Scribner, →ISBN, page 55:

     I used to play a game with David and Douggie, Dennis and Drew — stop their sneezes midsniff just by placing my pinkie finger against their nostrils and saying gesundheit before it was time.

2. (humorous) Said in response to a word that sounds onomatopoeically similar to a sneeze.
   • 2010 November, Dan Fogelman, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, Tangled, Walt Disney Pictures:

     Flynn: All right, Blondie.
     Rapunzel: Rapunzel!
     Flynn: Gesundheit.

• bless you

From German Gesundheit (literally “health”).

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

gesundheit

1. (Netherlands) Said to someone who has just sneezed, bless you
   • 2000, Harry Mulisch, Gerrit Komrij, Adriaan van Dis, Maarten 't Hart, Remco Campert, Marga Minco, Hugo Claus, De Schrijver: een literaire estafette, De Bezige Bij, →ISBN, page 142:

     Ik bleef haar aanstaren en moest niezen. Zij bleef lachen en zei: 'Gesundheit.'

     I kept staring at her and had to sneeze. She kept laughing and said: 'Bless you.'

   • 2015, Anne Tyler, De blauwe draad, Prometheus, →ISBN, page 96:

     'Ja, dat mag. En neem Heidi even mee, alsjeblieft. Ze zit weer te niezen.' Heidi was inderdaad aan het niezen – een hele serie zachte maar spetterende niesjes. 'Gesundheit,' zei Merrick.

     'Yes, that's alright. And take Heidi, please. She's sneezing again.' Heidi was sneezing indeed – a series of soft but splattering sneezes. 'Bless you,' said Merrick.

   • 2016, Hans Bogaert, Echo, De Bezige Bij, →ISBN, page 60:

     'Gesundheit,' zei hij toen ik moest niezen.

     'Bless you,' he said as I sneezed.

   • 2016, Marjolijn Uitzinger, De partijgenoot, Singel Uitgeverijen, →ISBN, page 147:

     Ik nam een te grote slok water en moest niezen vanwege de prik. 'Gesundheit. Maar er is nog een andere auto gevonden, in Lautenthal zelf.'

     I took too big of a gulp of water en had to sneeze because it was fizzy water. 'Bless you. But another has been found, in Lautenthal.'

• gezondheid