Quacksalber

German

Etymology

16th century, from Dutch kwakzalver, derived from Middle Dutch quacsalven (unsure whether verb or noun). Further origin disputed, though the second component is definitely Dutch zalf (“salve”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkvakˌzalbər/, [ˈkʋakˌzalbɐ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Quacksalber m (strong, genitive Quacksalbers, plural Quacksalber, feminine Quacksalberin)

1. (medicine) quack, quacksalver (unqualified healer or incompetent doctor; male or unspecified sex)

   Synonym: Kurpfuscher

Usage notes

• As a tendency, Quacksalber is the more northern word, while Kurpfuscher is the more southern, though both are generally understood.

Declension

Declension of Quacksalber [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Quacksalber	die	Quacksalber
genitive	eines	des	Quacksalbers	der	Quacksalber
dative	einem	dem	Quacksalber	den	Quacksalbern
accusative	einen	den	Quacksalber	die	Quacksalber

Derived terms

• Quacksalberei
• quacksalberisch
• quacksalbern
• Quacksalberprodukt (“snake oil”)

Related terms

• Salbe

Further reading

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