411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Eifer
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
German
Alternative forms
de Eiver obsolete
Etymology
From de gmh *īver jealousy. The simplex is first attested in 1494 as gmh yfer, but in 1349 the derivative gmh eifrær (in a southern text that already reflects diphthongisation, thus equivalent to a classical gmh *īverære). An Upper German dialect word, which was chosen by Luther to express the idea of de grc ζῆλος. From the German then nl ijver, gml īver, and further da iver etc.
Further origin unknown. Perhaps an ablaut variant of de goh eibar, goh eivar sharp, bitter, from de gmw-pro *aibr, from de gem-pro *aibraz, whence also ang āfor.
Pronunciation
de /ˈaɪ̯fər/ [ˈʔaɪ̯.fɐ]
de De-Eifer.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
Noun
m.sg
zeal, eagerness, alacrity
Declension
m.sg
Derived terms
de im Eifer des Gefechts
de Glaubenseifer
de Übereifer
de Wetteifer
Related terms
de Eifersucht
de eifrig
de Eifern
de Eiferer
de ereifern
Further reading