Eifer

German

Alternative forms

• Eiver (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German *īver (“jealousy”). The simplex is first attested in 1494 as yfer, but in 1349 the derivative eifrær (in a southern text that already reflects diphthongisation, thus equivalent to a classical *īverære). An Upper German dialect word, which was chosen by Luther to express the idea of Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos). From the German then Dutch ijver, Middle Low German īver, and further Danish iver etc.

Further origin unknown. Perhaps an ablaut variant of Old High German eibar, eivar (“sharp, bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *aibr, from Proto-Germanic *aibraz, whence also Old English āfor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ̯fər/, [ˈʔaɪ̯.fɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Eifer m (strong, genitive Eifers, no plural)

1. zeal, eagerness, alacrity

Declension

Declension of Eifer [sg-only, masculine, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Eifer
genitive	eines	des	Eifers
dative	einem	dem	Eifer
accusative	einen	den	Eifer

Derived terms

• Glaubenseifer
• Übereifer
• Wetteifer

Related terms

• Eifersucht
• eifrig
• Eifern
• Eiferer
• ereifern

Further reading

• “Eifer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Eifer” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Eifer” in Duden online