Gerücht

Inherited from Middle High German gerüchte (Central German), borrowed from Middle Low German geruchte, gerüchte. This northern form replaced earlier Middle High German geruofte, gerüefte, from Old High German geruofti. The noun ultimately pertains to the verb rufen (“to call”) (Old High German ruofan, Old Saxon hrōpan).

The Low German form is based on the shift -ft- → -cht- (cf. Nichte); the same in Dutch gerucht. Popular etymology later associated the word with riechen (“to smell”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈʁʏçt/

• Audio:

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Gerücht n (strong, genitive Gerüchtes or Gerüchts, plural Gerüchte)

1. rumor / rumour

   Er dementierte die Gerüchte, die über ihn kursieren.

   He denied the rumors that have been circulating about him.

   Ich will nicht, dass irgendwelche Gerüchte aufkommen.

   I don't want rumors going around.

   Gerüchten zufolge.

   According to rumors.

• “Gerücht” in Duden online
• “Gerücht” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Gerücht”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Borrowed from German Gerücht.

• IPA^(key): /ɡeˈryχt/, [ɡəˈʀyɕt]

Gerücht n (plural Gerüchter)

1. rumor / rumour

   Synonym: Rumeur