Zwitter

From Middle High German zwitarn (“bastard; hermaphrodite”), from Old High German zwitarn (“bastard”). The first part is the prefix zwie- (“two-, bi-”), but the identity of the second part is unknown.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈtsvɪtər/, [ˈt͡sʋɪtɐ]

• Audio (Germany):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Zwit‧ter

Zwitter m (strong, genitive Zwitters, plural Zwitter)

1. (biology) hermaphrodite (individual or organism having both male and female gonads)

   Synonyms: Hermaphrodit, Zweigeschlecht

   • 2001, “Zwitter”, in Mutter, performed by Rammstein:

     So ist es mir nur allzu recht / Ich bin ein schönes Zweigeschlecht / Zwei Seelen unter meiner Brust / Zwei Geschlechter, eine Lust / Zwitter, Zwitter

     So to me it's only all too correct / I am a beautiful hermaphrodite / Two souls under my breast / Two genders, one desire / Hemaphrodite, hemaphrodite

2. (figuratively, chiefly in compounds) hybrid (something of mixed components)

   Synonyms: Hybride, Hybrid

3. (figuratively, chiefly in compounds) something showing incompatible attributes
4. (obsolete) a child born of a relation considered illicit or incongruous (born out of wedlock, of different social classes, and/or of different races); a bastard; a mongrel

   Synonyms: Bankert, Bastard, Blendling, Kebskind, Kegel, Mischling

• → Kashubian: cwiter

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