Scheit

German

Etymology

From Middle High German schīt, from Old High German scīt (“log of wood”), from Proto-West Germanic *skīd (“piece of wood”).

Cognate with West Frisian skīd, Old Norse skíð (“plank; billet; ski”), Old English sċīd, English shide, Ancient Greek σχίζα (skhíza, “splinter”), Latvian skaida (“chip”), Lithuanian skëdrà.[1] Doublet of Ski.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃaɪ̯t/
  • Audio (Germany):(file)
  • Homophone: scheid

Noun

Scheit (originally) n or (now also) m (strong, genitive Scheits or Scheites, plural Scheite or (alternatively in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) Scheiter)

  1. log, billet, stick (of firewood)
    Beim Hacken des Brennholzes flogen die Scheite fast bis zum Dach.
    During the chopping of firewood, the logs went flying and almost hit the roof.

Usage notes

  • Most often used in the pleonastic compound Holzscheit.
  • Originally neuter, but the masculine is now a widely attestable variant.

Declension

Declension of Scheit [neuter // masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das, der Scheit die Scheite, Scheiter2
genitive eines des Scheits, Scheites der Scheite, Scheiter2
dative einem dem Scheit, Scheite1 den Scheiten, Scheitern2
accusative ein, einen das, den Scheit die Scheite, Scheiter2

1Now rare, see notes.
2Alternatively in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

References

  1. ^ Friedrich Kluge (1883), “Scheit”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Further reading

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