stehenden Fußes
German
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Calque of Medieval Latin stante pede (literally “with one’s foot standing still”), a medieval juridical term meaning "on the spot, without having left the court". The translation (18th century) uses an adverbial genitive, a construction that in contemporary German occurs but in a few fixed expressions. Cognate with Dutch op staande voet and Danish på stående fod. Compare Old Novgorodian како стоꙗ (kako stoja).
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio: (file)
Adverb
[edit]- (literary, otherwise humorous) on the spot
- Synonyms: auf der Stelle; stante pede, stantepe
- Als mir das Bild zum Kauf angeboten wurde, kaufte ich es stehenden Fußes.
- When I was offered to buy the painting, I bought it on the spot.