411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Pfaffe
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
German
Etymology
From de gmh pfaffe, from de goh pfaffo, goh phaffo, an early borrowing from de got 𐍀𐌰𐍀𐌰 demonstrating the effects of the High German consonant shift, from de grc πάπας.Dennis Green, Language and History in the Early Germanic World (Cambridge 1998) p. 309 Cognate to nl paap. de Papst.
Pronunciation
de /ˈp͡fafə/
de De-Pfaffe.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
Noun
m.weak
de now derogatory cleric, clergyman
de Geistlicher Kleriker
Da die? Sie kam von ihrem Pfaffen, / Der sprach sie aller Sünden frey;
Usage notes
The term was originally neutral, but since about the time of the Reformation it ceased to be used with any positive tone; usage today is derogatory.
Declension
m.weak
Derived terms
de Pfäffchen
de Pfaffenhofen
References
Further reading