Zimt

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡sɪmt/

Etymology 1

From late Middle High German zimet, from earlier zinemīn, zinment, from Latin cinnamon, cinnamomum, from Ancient Greek κιννάμωμον (kinnámōmon), later κίνναμον (kínnamon), according to Herodotus from Phoenician, cognate with Hebrew קִנָּמוֹן (qinnāmōn).

Noun

der Zimt

Zimt m or n (strong, genitive Zimtes or Zimts, plural Zimte)

1. (uncountable) cinnamon
   • 2013, Hanna Dinkelbach, Zimt-Missbrauch: Das Risiko als letzte Würze, in: Website of Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung

     Die Einnahme von Zimt löst einen schweren Würgereflex aus, weil das Gewürz in Mund und Rachen brennt, erklärt Hower: „Beim Luftholen kann das Zimt in die Lunge gelangen“.

     The consumption of cinnamon provokes a strong pharyngeal reflex because the spice stings in the mouth and throat, Hower explains: “When taking a breath, you can get the cinnamon into your lungs.”

2. (countable) a particular kind of cinnamon
3. (uncountable) the brownish colour of cinnamon

Usage notes

• Traditionally and predominantly masculine, but also used as a neuter by some speakers. As a colour it is usually neuter.

Declension

Declension of Zimt [masculine // neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der, das	Zimt	die	Zimte
genitive	eines	des	Zimtes, Zimts	der	Zimte
dative	einem	dem	Zimt, Zimte1	den	Zimten
accusative	einen, ein	den, das	Zimt	die	Zimte

¹Now rare, see notes.

Alternative forms

• Zimmt
• Zimmet (archaic)

Derived terms

• zimt
• zimtartig, zimtfarben

Related terms

• Zimtaldehyd, Zimtbaum, Zimtöl, Zimtschnecke, Zimtstange, Zimtstern, Zimtzucker

Descendants

• → Lower Sorbian: cymt
• → Macedonian: цимет (cimet)
• → Serbo-Croatian: cìmet, цѝмет
• → Slovene: cīmet
• → Upper Sorbian: cymt

See also

• Kaneel

Etymology 2

From Rotwelsch Zimt (“gold”).

Noun

Zimt m (strong, genitive Zimtes or Zimts, plural Zimte)

1. something worthless or dumb

Declension

Declension of Zimt [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Zimt	die	Zimte
genitive	eines	des	Zimtes, Zimts	der	Zimte
dative	einem	dem	Zimt, Zimte1	den	Zimten
accusative	einen	den	Zimt	die	Zimte

¹Now rare, see notes.

Related terms

• Zimtzicke

Further reading

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