Witz

From Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”).

Cognate to English wit, archaic Dutch wit, akin to Old Saxon giwit.

• IPA^(key): /vɪt͡s/

• Audio:

  (file)

Witz m (strong, genitive Witzes, plural Witze, diminutive Witzchen n)

1. joke

   Synonym: Scherz

   über einen Witz lachen ― to laugh at a joke

2. (colloquial, chiefly derogatory) joke (something that is not taken seriously due to being very easy, very ineffective, or very arbitrary)

   Die Prüfung ist ein Witz, die besteht wirklich jeder. ― The exam is a joke, literally everyone passes.

3. wit, humour
4. (colloquial) point, purpose (the central idea or aspect that makes something worthwhile)

   Synonym: Sinn

   Was war jetzt der Witz der ganzen Aktion? ― So what was the point of doing all that?

   • 1899, Theodor Fontane, Der Stechling, page 257:

     Stark ist es, so viel geb' ich zu; aber nicht zu stark. Daß es stark ist, das ist ja eben der Witz von der Sache.

     It is strong, that much I'll admit; but not too strong. It being strong is exactly the point of all this, after all.

• While Witz and Scherz can both be used for statements meant in jest, archetypical jokes consisting of setup and punchline are typically only referred to as a Witz.

• Anekdote
• Kalauer
• Zote
• Gag

• “Witz” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• “Witz” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Witz” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Witz” in Duden online
• “Witz” in OpenThesaurus.de
• Witz on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

From Middle High German witze, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją.

• IPA^(key): /vit͡s/

Witz m (plural Witz)

1. wit
2. joke

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “Witz”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 177

From Middle High German witze, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją.

Cognate with German Witz, English wit, Dutch wit, Icelandic vit.

• IPA^(key): /vit͡s/

Witz m (plural Witzen or Witzer)

1. joke

• Witz in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire