Demut

German

Etymology

From Middle High German dēmuot, diemuot, diemüete, from southern Old High German thiomuotī (ca. 800), from thio (“unfree, adscript”) + muot (“mood, attitude”), thus literally “serf-mindedness”. The word spread from Upper German during Middle High German times, gradually displacing the northern ōtmuotī (compare Old Saxon ōthmōdī). Northern sources almost invariably show -e- instead of -ie-, but this form also appears in the south and must thus be considered an internal, irregular development. Middle Low German dêmôt, Middle Dutch dêmoet are both late (15th c.) borrowings from High German.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdeːˌmuːt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Demut f (genitive Demut, no plural)

1. humility, meekness (comprehension or expression of one’s own lowliness)

   Synonyms: Bescheidenheit, Ergebenheit, Unterwürfigkeit

   Antonyms: Hochmut; (archaic) Hoffart; Selbstherrlichkeit; Überheblichkeit

Declension

Declension of Demut [sg-only, feminine]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Demut
genitive	einer	der	Demut
dative	einer	der	Demut
accusative	eine	die	Demut

Derived terms

• demütig
• demütigen

Related terms

• deo
• dienen
• Mut
• *þeu

Further reading

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