gift

See also: Gift and GIFT

English

Alternative forms

• yift (dialectal)

Etymology

From Middle English gift (also yift, yifte, ȝift, ȝeft), partly from Old English ġift (“giving, consideration, dowry, wedding”) and Old Norse gipt (“gift, present, wedding”); both from Proto-Germanic *giftiz (“gift”). Equivalent to give +‎ -th (etymologically yive + -th).

Cognate with West Frisian jefte (“gift”), Saterland Frisian Gift (“gift”), German Low German Gift (“poison”), Dutch gift (“gift”) and its doublet gif (“poison”), German Gift (“poison”), Danish gift (“gift (obsolete); poison, venom”), Swedish gift (“gift, poison, venom”), Icelandic gift (“gift”). Doublet of yift. Distantly related to English habit, from Latin habitus.

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) enPR: gĭft, IPA^(key): /ɡɪft/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪft

Noun

gift (plural gifts)

1. Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
   • 1965, Frank Herbert, Dune‎^[1] (Science Fiction), New York: Ace Books, →OCLC, page 48‎^[2]:

     “I thank you for the gift, Dr. Yueh,” Paul said, speaking formally. “It will be our secret. If there is a gift or favor you wish from me, please do not hesitate to ask.”
     "I . . . need for nothing," Yueh said.

   • 2021 October 20, “Stop & Examine”, in RAIL, number 942, page 71:

     She bought the model as a surprise gift for a friend who is a lifelong HST fan and railwayman, and who will soon be celebrating a milestone birthday.

2. A talent or natural ability.

   She had a gift for playing the flute.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

3. Something gained incidentally, without effort.
4. The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.

   The office is in the gift of the President.

Synonyms

• (something freely given by another): See Thesaurus:gift For beneficial actions, see favor.
• (something god-given): ability, aptitude, knack, talent, strength

Derived terms

• bride gift
• countergift
• don't look a gift horse in the mouth
• ecogift
• e-gift certificate
• engift
• fore-gift
• foregift
• gag gift
• gift bag
• giftbag
• gift basket
• giftbook
• giftbox
• gift card
• giftcard
• gift certificate
• gift economy
• giftfic
• gift from above
• gift from the gods
• giftful
• gift giver
• gift-giving
• gift horse
• giftless
• giftlet
• giftling
• Giftmas
• gift matching
• gift of gab
• gift of the gab
• gift of tongues
• giftpack
• gift receipt
• gift registry
• gift rope
• giftset
• gift set
• gift shop
• gift tax
• gift that keeps on giving
• gift token
• gift voucher
• giftware
• gift-wrap
• gift wrap
• giftwrap
• gift-wrapping
• gifty
• God's gift
• God's gift to men
• God's gift to women
• Greek gift
• handgift
• Indian gift
• megagift
• morning-gift
• morning gift
• never look a gift horse in the mouth
• parting gift
• regift
• return gift

 

Descendants

• → Japanese: ギフト (gifuto)

Translations

something given to another voluntarily, without charge

• Abkhaz: аҳамҭа (aḥamta)
• Afrikaans: geskenk (af), present (af), kado (af)
• Albanian: dhuratë (sq) f
• Amharic: ስጦታ (səṭota)
• Amis: amid
• Arabic: هَدِيَّة f (hadiyya)

  Egyptian Arabic: هدية f (hedeya), كادو m (kādu)

  Hijazi Arabic: هَدِيَّة f (hadiyya)

  Lebanese Arabic: هدية f (hedíyi), كادو m (kadō)

  Moroccan Arabic: هدية f (hadiyya), كادو (kādu)

  South Levantine Arabic: هدية f (hadiyye, hidiyye)

• Aragonese: regalo m
• Armenian: նվեր (hy) (nver), ընծա (hy) (ənca)
• Aromanian: dar n
• Assamese: উপহাৰ (upohar)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܡܵܘܗܲܒ݂ܬܵܐ f (māwhawtā), ܕܲܫܢܵܐ m (dašnā), ܦܲܫܟܲܫ m (paškaš)
• Asturian: regalu m
• Avar: сайигъат (sajiğat)
• Aymara: t'inkha
• Azerbaijani: hədiyyə (az)
• Bashkir: бүләк (bülək), күстәнәс (küstənəs)
• Basque: opari
• Belarusian: падару́нак m (padarúnak), дар m (dar), гасці́нец m (hascínjec), прэзе́нт m (prezjént)
• Bengali: উপহার (bn) (upohar), তোফা (bn) (tōpha), উপঢৌকন (bn) (upôḍhoukôn), বকশিশ (bn) (bôkśiś), হাদিয়া (bn) (hadiẏa), সালামি (bn) (salami)
• Breton: prof (br)
• Bulgarian: пода́рък (bg) m (podárǎk), дар (bg) m (dar)
• Burmese: ပဏ္ဏာ (my) (panna)
• Buryat: бэлэг (beleg)
• Catalan: present (ca), do (ca), regal (ca)
• Central Atlas Tamazight: ⴰⵡⴻⵔⴹⵉ (awerḍi)
• Chechen: совгӏат (sovğat)
• Cherokee: ᎠᏓᏁᏗ (adanedi)
• Chichewa: mphatso
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 禮物 / 礼物 (lai⁵ mat⁶)

  Dungan: лищин (lixin), ли (li)

  Eastern Min: 禮物 / 礼物 (lā̤-ŭk)

  Gan: 禮物 / 礼物 ('li³ ut⁶)

  Hakka: 禮物 / 礼物 (lî-vu̍t)

  Hokkien: 禮物 / 礼物 (zh-min-nan) (lé-bu̍t / lé-mi̍h / lé-mn̍gh)

  Mandarin: 禮物 / 礼物 (zh) (lǐwù)

  Wu: 禮物 / 礼物 (⁶li-veq)

  Xiang: 禮物 / 礼物 (li³ u⁶)

• Chuvash: парне (parne), кучченеҫ (kuččeneś)
• Corsican: regalu m
• Crimean Tatar: tokuz
• Czech: dar (cs) m, dárek (cs) m
• Danish: gave (da) c
• Dhivehi: ހަދިޔާ (hadiyā)
• Dutch: gift (nl) m or f, geschenk (nl) n, presentje (nl) n, cadeau (nl) n
• Esperanto: donaco
• Estonian: kink (et), kingitus
• Ewe: please add this translation if you can
• Extremaduran: please add this translation if you can
• Faliscan: datu
• Faroese: gáva f
• Finnish: lahja (fi)
• French: présent (fr) m, cadeau (fr) m, don (fr) m
• Friulian: don m, regal m, presint m
• Galician: regalo (gl) m, agasallo (gl) m, presente (gl) m
• Georgian: საჩუქარი (sačukari), ძღვენი (ʒɣveni), ნაბოძები (naboʒebi)
• German: Geschenk (de) n, Präsent (de) n (rarely), Spende (de) f, Gabe (de) f
• Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌼𐍃 m (maiþms), 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍆𐍄𐍃 f (fragifts), 𐌰𐌹𐌱𐍂 n (aibr)
• Greek: δώρο (el) n (dóro), δωρεά (el) f (doreá), χάρισμα (el) n (chárisma)

  Ancient: δῶρον n (dôron), δώρημα n (dṓrēma)

• Gujarati: ભેટ f (bheṭ), બક્ષિશ f (bakṣiś)
• Hausa: kyauta (ha)
• Hawaiian: makana
• Hebrew: מַתָּנָה (he) f (mataná), שַׁי (he) m (shay)
• Hindi: उपहार (hi) m (uphār), देन (hi) f (den), बख़्शिश f (baxśiś), सौग़ात m (sauġāt), भेंट f (bhẽṭ), हदिया m (hadiyā)
• Hungarian: ajándék (hu)
• Icelandic: gjöf (is) f
• Ido: donacajo (io)
• Igbo: ugbua (ig)
• Indonesian: hadiah (id), kado (id)
• Ingrian: podarka, lahja
• Ingush: совгӏат (sovğat)
• Interlingua: dono
• Irish: bronntanas m, tabhartas m, féirín m, tíolacadh m (divine)
• Italian: regalo (it) m, dono (it) m, presente (it) m
• Japanese: 贈り物 (ja) (おくりもの, okurimono), 贈答品 (ja) (ぞうとうひん, zōtōhin), プレゼント (ja) (purezento), ギフト (ja) (gifuto), 進物 (ja) (しんもつ, shinmotsu), 礼物 (ja) (れいもつ, reimotsu)
• Javanese: hadiah
• Kannada: ಕೊಡುಗೆ (kn) (koḍuge)
• Kazakh: сый (syi), сыйлық (syilyq)
• Khmer: ជំនូន (km) (cumnuun), អំណោយ (km) (ʼɑmnaoy)
• Komi-Yazva: кӱзин (küźin)
• Korean: 선물(膳物) (ko) (seonmul), 예물(禮物) (ko) (yemul), 례물(禮物) (ko) (ryemul) (North Korea)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: دیاری (ckb) (dyarî)

  Northern Kurdish: diyarî (ku), hediye (ku)

• Kyrgyz: сыйлык (ky) (sıylık), белек (ky) (belek)
• Ladin: bonaman f
• Lao: ຂວັນ (lo) (khuan), ຂອງຂວັນ (khǭng khuan), ຂອງຕ້ອນ (khǭng tǭn), ເຄື່ອງຕ້ອນ (khư̄ang tǭn), ຂອງຝາກ (khǭng fāk), ກຳນັນ (kam nan)
• Latgalian: duovona f
• Latin: dōnum (la) n, mūnus (la) n, xenium n (particularly from a guest to a host)
• Latvian: dāvana (lv) f
• Lezgi: багъиш (baġiš)
• Ligurian: regalu m, cadò
• Lithuanian: dovana f
• Luganda: please add this translation if you can
• Luxembourgish: Geschenk (lb) n, Cadeau (lb) n, Kaddo (lb) n, Don m, Spend f
• Macedonian: по́дарок m (pódarok), дар m (dar), прово́дија f (provódija), даро́вница f (daróvnica)
• Malay: hadiah (ms)
• Malayalam: സമ്മാനം (ml) (sammānaṁ)
• Maltese: rigal
• Manx: gioot m, tortys f, nastey m
• Maore Comorian: zawadi class 9/10
• Maori: koha, kōpare (refers to food given to a host when visiting), perehana, takoha
• Marathi: भेटवस्तू (bheṭvastū)
• Marsian: dunom
• Mirandese: please add this translation if you can
• Moksha: казне (kaźńe)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: бэлэг (mn) (beleg)

• Nepali: उपहार (ne) (upahār)
• Ngazidja Comorian: ɓambu class 5/6, hiɗaya class 7/8
• Norman: persent m (Guernsey), présent m (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gave (no) m or f, presang (no) m

  Nynorsk: gåve f, presang m

• Occitan: present (oc) m, don (oc) m
• Odia: ଦାନ (or) (dāna)
• Old English: ġiefu (ang) f
• Old Norse: gipt f, gáfa f, gjǫf f
• Old Swedish: gava
• Ossetian: лӕвар (lævar)
• Ottoman Turkish: هدیه (hediye)
• Pannonian Rusyn: дар m (dar), дарунок m (darunok)
• Pashto: ارمغان (ps) m (armaǧãn), بخشش m (baxšᶕš), تارتوک (ps) m (tārtúk), تحفه (ps) f (tohfá), هديه f (hadya), پېشکش m (peškaš)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: هَدِیِه (hadiye), پیشْکِش (piškeš), کادو (fa) (kâdo), تُحْفِه (tohfe), بَخْشِش (baxšeš)

• Plautdietsch: Gow f, Jeschenkj n
• Polish: prezent (pl) m, dar (pl) m, podarunek (pl) m, podarek (pl) m
• Portuguese: presente (pt) m, prenda (pt) f
• Punjabi: ਉਪਹਾਰ (pa) m (upahār), ਤੋਹਫ਼ਾ m (tohfā)
• Romanian: cadou (ro) n, dar (ro) n
• Romansch: regal m
• Russian: пода́рок (ru) m (podárok), дар (ru) m (dar), презе́нт (ru) m (prezént), гости́нец (ru) m (gostínec)
• Sanskrit: मघ (sa) m (magha), उपहार (sa) m (upahāra), दान (sa) n (dāna), दुवस् (sa) n (duvas)
• Sardinian:

  Logudorese: regalu m

• Scots: please add this translation if you can
• Scottish Gaelic: tiodhlac m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀клон m, да̑р m

  Roman: pòklon (sh) m, dȃr (sh) m

• Sicilian: rigalu (scn) m, rijalu (scn) m, prisenti (scn) m
• Sindhi: please add this translation if you can
• Sinhalese: තෑග්ග (tǣgga)
• Slovak: dar (sk) m, (diminutive) darček m
• Slovene: darilo (sl) n
• Somali: hadyad, diiqo
• Sotho: mpho (st)
• Spanish: regalo (es) m, obsequio (es) m, aguinaldo (es) m, agasajo (es) m
• Sranan Tongo: kado, presenti
• Swahili: zawadi (sw) class 9/10
• Swedish: present (sv) c, gåva (sv) c, skänk (sv) c
• Tagalog: regalo (tl), bigay (tl), pasalubong
• Tajik: ҳадя (hadya), тӯҳфа (tühfa), пешкаш (peškaš), бахшиш (tg) (baxšiš)
• Tamil: பரிசு (ta) (paricu)
• Tatar: бүләк (tt) (büläk)
• Telugu: కానుక (te) (kānuka), బహుమతి (te) (bahumati)
• Thai: ของขวัญ (th) (kɔ̌ɔng-kwǎn), ของกำนัล (th) (kɔ̌ɔng-gam-nan), ของฝาก (kɔ̌ɔng-fàak), กำนัล (th) (gam-nan)
• Tibetan: རྔན་པ (rngan pa), ལག་རྟགས (lag rtags)
• Tigrinya: ህያብ (həyab)
• Tocharian B: āyor
• Tswana: mpho class 9/10
• Turkish: hediye (tr), armağan (tr)
• Turkmen: peşeş, zehin (tk), sylag
• Udmurt: кузьым (kuźym)
• Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎉𐎃 (mṭḫ), 𐎜𐎌𐎐 (ủšn)
• Ukrainian: подару́нок m (podarúnok), дару́нок (darúnok), дар (dar), рале́ць (uk) m (ralécʹ), презе́нт m (prezént), гости́нець m (hostýnecʹ)
• Urdu: تُحْفَہ m (tuhfa), سَوغات m (sauġāt), ہَدِیَہ m (hadiya), بَخْشِش f (baxśiś), عَطِیَّہ (ur) m ('atiyya), بھینْٹ (bhenṭ), اُپْہار m (uphār), دین f (den)
• Uyghur: سوۋغات (sowghat), سوۋغا (sowgha), تارتۇق (tartuq), ھەدىيىلىك (hediyilik)
• Uzbek: sovg'a (uz), tuhfa (uz), hadya (uz)
• Vestinian: duno
• Vietnamese: quà (vi), quà tặng, quà biếu
• Volapük: legivot (vo)
• Walloon: bistoke (wa) f, cado (wa) m, prezint (wa) m
• Welsh: anrheg (cy) f
• West Frisian: jefte
• Wolof: yóobal
• Xhosa: isipho
• Yakut: бэлэх (beleq)
• Yiddish: גאָב f (gob), מתּנה f (matone), געשאַנק n (geshank)
• Yoruba: ẹ̀bùn
• Yup'ik: cikirun
• Zazaki: hediye m, peskes
• Zulu: isipho, isiphiwo, umkhungo

something received incidentally, without effort

• Afrikaans: geskenk (af)
• Armenian: նվեր (hy) (nver)
• Bashkir: бүләк (bülək)
• Esperanto: donaco
• Estonian: kink (et), kingitus
• German: Geschenk (de) n
• Greek: δώρο (el) n (dóro)
• Hungarian: ajándék (hu)
• Irish: bronntanas m, tabhartas m, féirín m
• Italian: dono (it) m
• Khmer: អំណោយ (km) (ʼɑmnaoy)
• Luxembourgish: Geschenk (lb) n
• Macedonian: по́дарок m (pódarok)
• Polish: prezent (pl) m
• Portuguese: presente (pt) m, dádiva (pt) f
• Russian: пода́рок (ru) m (podárok)
• Ukrainian: дар m (dar)

talent or natural ability

• Afrikaans: gawe
• Arabic: قَرِيحَة f (qarīḥa)
• Armenian: ձիրք (hy) (jirkʻ), շնորհք (hy) (šnorhkʻ)
• Bulgarian: да́рба (bg) f (dárba), тала́нт (bg) m (talánt)
• Catalan: do (ca) m, dot (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 天才 (zh) (tiāncái), 才能 (zh) (cáinéng)

• Czech: dar (cs) m, vloha f
• Dutch: gave (nl) f
• Finnish: lahja (fi), kyky (fi)
• French: don (fr) m, talent (fr) m
• Galician: don m
• Georgian: ძღვენი (ʒɣveni), ტალანტი (ṭalanṭi), ნიჭი (nič̣i), ნაბოძები (naboʒebi)
• German: Begabung (de) f, Talent (de) n
• Greek: χάρισμα (el) n (chárisma), ταλέντο (el) n (talénto)
• Hungarian: tehetség (hu), adottság (hu)
• Irish: tíolacadh m, bua m, tallann f
• Italian: dono (it) m, talento (it) m
• Japanese: 天分 (ja) (てんぶん, tenbun), 才能 (ja) (さいのう, sainō), 天才 (ja) (てんさい, tensai)
• Khmer: និស្ស័យ (km) (nihsay)
• Korean: 천분(天分) (ko) (cheonbun), 재능(才能) (ko) (jaeneung), 천재(天才) (ko) (cheonjae)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: dan (ku)

• Latin: donum (la) n, munus (la) n
• Latvian: talants m, spējas f pl
• Luxembourgish: Begabung f, Talent n
• Macedonian: да́рба f (dárba), дар m (dar), тале́нт m (talént)
• Malayalam: കഴിവ് (ml) (kaḻivŭ)
• Marathi: भेट (bheṭ)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: авъяас (avʺjaas)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gave (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: gåve f

• Old English: ġiefu (ang) f
• Polish: dar (pl) m, talent (pl) m
• Portuguese: dom (pt) m, talento (pt) m, engenho (pt) m, jeito (pt) m, mão (pt) f, dedo (pt) m, bossa (pt) f, perícia (pt) f
• Romanian: dar (ro) n
• Romansch: talent m, dun m
• Russian: дар (ru) m (dar), тала́нт (ru) m (talánt), одарённость (ru) f (odarjónnostʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: да̑р m

  Roman: dȃr (sh) m

• Slovak: nadanie, talent
• Slovene: dar (sl) m
• Spanish: don (es) m, talento (es) m
• Swahili: kipawa (sw) class 7/8
• Swedish: begåvning (sv) c
• Tagalog: talento
• Telugu: వరం (te) (varaṁ)
• Thai: พรสวรรค์ (pɔɔn-sà-wǎn)
• Turkish: yetenek (tr), kabiliyet (tr)
• Ukrainian: дар m (dar), талант m (talant)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} donacajo (io)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} donatio f, ^{(please verify)} datus (la) m

See also

• lagniappe

Verb

gift (third-person singular simple present gifts, present participle gifting, simple past and past participle gifted)

1. (transitive) To give as a gift or donation.
2. (transitive) To give away, to concede easily.
   • 2011 September 28, Jon Smith, “Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎^[3]:

     Chelsea threw away two points when substitute Salomon Kalou gifted Valencia a penalty five minutes from time with a needless handball.

   • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 440:

     They drove on, every rise in the road lifting their sightline clear of the drystone dykes along the roadside, gifting glimpses of the firth and the islands, the blue peaks of Arran.

Synonyms

• contribute
• donate
• give

Related terms

• begift
• begive
• giftability
• giftable
• giftee
• gifter
• give out
• give out stink
• outgive
• regift
• re-gift

 

Translations

(transitive) to give as a gift

• Arabic: أَهْدَى (ʔahdā)
• Armenian: նվիրել (hy) (nvirel)
• Bulgarian: дарявам (bg) (darjavam)
• Catalan: donar (ca), oferir (ca) (com a present), regalar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 贈送 / 赠送 (zh) (zèngsòng), 送 (zh) (sòng)

• Czech: darovat (cs), obdarovat pf, obdarovávat impf
• Dutch: schenken (nl), cadeau doen
• Estonian: kinkima (et)
• Finnish: lahjoittaa (fi)
• French: donner (fr), faire don de, offrir (fr)
• German: schenken (de)
• Greek: δωρίζω (el) (dorízo), χαρίζω (el) (charízo)
• Hungarian: ajándékoz (hu)
• Italian: regalare (it), donare (it)
• Latin: dare (la), dōnāre (la)
• Luxembourgish: schenken
• Manx: gioot
• Old English: gifian
• Polish: podarować (pl), sprezentować, dać w prezencie
• Portuguese: dar de presente, oferecer (pt), presentear (pt)
• Romanian: dărui (ro)
• Romansch: dar
• Russian: дари́ть (ru) impf (darítʹ), подари́ть (ru) pf (podarítʹ)
• Slovak: darovať
• Slovene: podariti
• Spanish: regalar (es), dar (es), obsequiar (es)
• Swedish: skänka (sv), donera (sv)
• Tagalog: magbigay (tl), magregalo
• Telugu: బహూకరించు (te) (bahūkariñcu)
• Ukrainian: дарува́ти impf (daruváty), подарува́ти pf (podaruváty)
• Vietnamese: tặng (vi)
• Walloon: ofri (wa), bistoker (wa), sinker (wa)
• Yiddish: שענקען (shenken)

Anagrams

• T.G.I.F., TGIF

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡift/, [ɡ̊ifd̥]

Etymology 1

From German Gift (“poison”). Similar to the archaic gift (“gift”), a verbal noun to give (“to give”).

Noun

gift c (singular definite giften, plural indefinite gifte)

1. poison (substance harmful to a living organism)
2. venom (poison carried by an animal)

Inflection

Declension of gift

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	gift	giften	gifte	giftene
genitive	gifts	giftens	giftes	giftenes

Derived terms

• giftgas
• giftig
• giftmord
• giftsky
• giftstof
• rottegift

 

Synonyms

• edder

See also

• gift on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Etymology 2

Originally the past participle of gifte (“marry”).

Adjective

gift

1. married

Inflection

Inflection of gift

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	gift	—	—2
indefinite neuter singular	gift	—	—2
plural	gifte	—	—2
definite attributive1	gifte	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Derived terms

• ugift

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

gift

1. imperative of gifte
2. past participle of gifte

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch gifte, from Old Dutch *gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. Equivalent to geven (“to give”) +‎ -t (“verbal noun”).

The words gif and vergif, both meaning “poison”, derive from the same source as gift. The sense “poison” may have originated as a shortening of vergift or may have been borrowed from German Gift.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɪft/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gift
• Rhymes: -ɪft

Noun

gift f (plural giften, diminutive giftje n)

1. donation; something given (away) voluntarily

   Synonyms: cadeau, geschenk, schenking

Derived terms

• grafgift
• huwelijksgift

Noun

gift n or f (plural giften, diminutive giftje n)

1. (dated) poison

   Synonyms: gif, venijn, vergif, vergift

Derived terms

• giftig

Descendants

• Afrikaans: gif

Adjective

gift (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) poisonous, toxic, venomous

   Synonym: giftig

Declension

Declension of gift
uninflected	gift
inflected	gifte
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		gift
indefinite	m./f. sing.	gifte
	n. sing.	gift
	plural	gifte
definite		gifte
partitive		gifts

Related terms

• geven, gave
• vergiftigen, ontgiften, begiftigen

Faroese

Etymology

From German Gift.

Noun

gift f (genitive singular giftar, uncountable)

1. poison

Declension

f2s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	gift	giftin
accusative	gift	giftina
dative	gift	giftini
genitive	giftar	giftarinnar

Synonyms

• eitur

Adjective

gift

1. married, female form of giftur
   • Ert tú gift?

     Are you (f) married?

Declension

Declension of gift (a5)
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	giftur	gift	gift
Accusative	giftan	gifta	gift
Dative	giftum	giftari	giftum
Genitive	gifts	giftar/ giftrar	gifts
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	giftir	giftar	gift
Accusative	giftar	giftar	gift
Dative	giftum	giftum	giftum
Genitive	gifta/ giftra	gifta/ giftra	gifta/ giftra

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse gipt, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /cɪft/
• Rhymes: -ɪft

Noun

gift f (genitive singular giftar, nominative plural giftir)

1. (obsolete) gift

   Synonym: gjöf

Declension

Declension of gift (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	gift	giftin	giftir	giftirnar
accusative	gift	giftina	giftir	giftirnar
dative	gift	giftinni	giftum	giftunum
genitive	giftar	giftarinnar	gifta	giftanna

Related terms

• gifta

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

gift f or m (definite singular gifta or giften, indefinite plural gifter, definite plural giftene)

1. poison (substance harmful to a living organism)

Derived terms

• giftslange
• giftstoff
• rottegift

Related terms

• forgifte
• forgiftning
• giftig

Adjective

gift (neuter singular gift, definite singular and plural gifte)

1. married

Antonyms

• ugift

Derived terms

• nygift

Verb

gift

1. imperative of gifte

References

• “gift” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɪft/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse gipt.

Noun

gift f (definite singular gifta, indefinite plural gifter, definite plural giftene)

1. poison

Derived terms

• giftslange
• giftstoff
• rottegift

Etymology 2

Past participle of gifta.

Adjective

gift (indefinite singular gift, definite singular and plural gifte)

1. married

Participle

gift (definite singular and plural gifte)

1. past participle of gifta and gifte

Alternative forms

• gifta

Verb

gift

1. imperative of gifta and gifte
2. supine of gifta and gifte

References

• “gift” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

• ġyft

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz. Cognate with Old Frisian jeft, Old Saxon *gift (in sundargift (“privilege”, literally “special gift”)), Dutch gift, Old High German gift (German Gift), Old Norse gipt (> English gift), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍆𐍄𐍃 (fragifts).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jift/

Noun

ġift f

1. marriage payment, dowry
2. (in the plural and in compounds) wedding, marriage
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost"

     Þāðā hí noldon cuman to ðam ġiftum, ða sende hé eft, þus cweðende, "Secgað ðam gelaðodum, Efne, ic ġeġearcode mīne gōd, ic ofslóh mine fearras, and mine gemæstan fugelas, and ealle mine ðing ic ġearcode: cumað to þam ġiftum."

     When they would not come to the marriage, he sent again, thus saying, "Say to those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my meats, I have slain my oxen and my fatted fowls, and have prepared all my things: come to the marriage."

Declension

Strong i-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ġift	ġifte, ġifta
accusative	ġift, ġifte	ġifte, ġifta
genitive	ġifte	ġifta
dative	ġifte	ġiftum

Descendants

• Middle English: yifte, ȝift, gift
  • English: gift, yift
  • Scots: gyft, gift
  • Yola: giftes (plural)

Swedish

FWOTD – 2 July 2017

Pronunciation

• Gotland:

  (file)

Etymology 1

From German Gift (“poison”), from Middle High German gift f (“gift, present”), Old High German gift f (“gift”), from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic *giftiz, which is a derivation of *gebaną (“to give”).

Noun

gift n

1. poison, venom, toxin (toxic substance)

   Hyponyms: etter, toxin

   • 1968, Tove Jansson, Muminpappans memoarer, Holger Schildts Förlag, published 1991, →ISBN, page 126:

     Rådd-djuret gråter, sade Joxaren förebrående. Spöket har målat en dödskalle på kaffeburken och skrivit GIFT under och nu är Rådd-djuret utom sig och säger att har det inte gift sig förut så kommer det nu absolut aldrig att göra det!

     "The Muddler is crying," said the Joxter reproachfully. "The ghost has painted a skull and crossbones and the word POISON on the Muddler's coffee tin, and now the Muddler is beside himself and says that if it has not gotten married before it will absolutely never do it!"

Declension

Declension of gift

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	gift	gifts
	definite	giftet	giftets
plural	indefinite	gifter	gifters
	definite	gifterna	gifternas

Derived terms

• giftgrön (“green like poison”)
• giftkörtel (“venom gland”)
• giftorm (“venomous snake”)
• giftpil (“poison arrow”)
• miljögift (“environmental toxin”)

Related terms

• förgifta
• förgiftning
• giftig

Etymology 2

From Old Swedish gipt, from Old Norse gipta (“give away in marriage”), from Proto-Germanic *giftiz.

Adjective

gift (not comparable)

1. married

   Synonym: äkta

   ett gift par ― a married couple

   Han är gift sedan tre år.

   He's been married for three years.

   • 1968, Tove Jansson, Muminpappans memoarer, Holger Schildts Förlag, published 1991, →ISBN, page 126:

     Rådd-djuret gråter, sade Joxaren förebrående. Spöket har målat en dödskalle på kaffeburken och skrivit GIFT under och nu är Rådd-djuret utom sig och säger att har det inte gift sig förut så kommer det nu absolut aldrig att göra det!

     "The Muddler is crying," said the Joxter reproachfully. "The ghost has painted a skull and crossbones and the word POISON on the Muddler's coffee tin, and now the Muddler is beside himself and says that if it has not gotten married before it will absolutely never do it!"

Declension

Inflection of gift

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	gift	—	—
neuter singular	gift	—	—
plural	gifta	—	—
masculine plural2	gifte	—	—
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	gifte	—	—
all	gifta	—	—

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Participle

gift

1. past participle of gifta

Verb

gift

1. inflection of gifta:
   1. imperative
   2. supine

References

• gift in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gift in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gift in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)