Friedhof

German

Alternative forms

  • Freithof (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German vrīthof, from Old High German frīthof, derived from frīten (to enclose) + Hof (yard). In Early Modern German, the word came to be associated with the distantly related Frieden (peace), probably at first through interaction of diphthongising and non-diphthongising dialects, but then leading to semantic remotivation as “place of final peace”. Cognate with archaic Dutch vrijthof.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfʁiːtˌhoːf/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Fried‧hof
  • Rhymes: -oːf

Noun

Friedhof m (strong, genitive Friedhofes or Friedhofs, plural Friedhöfe)

  1. cemetery, graveyard
    Synonym: (less common) Kirchhof

Declension

  • Frieden m
  • Friedhofsgärtner m (cemetery gardner)
  • Friedhofskapelle f (cemetery chapel)
  • Hof m

Further reading