hoch

Inherited from Old Czech hoch. From derivatives of holý, e.g. holobrádek, holeček, holec, holomudec, +‎ -ch. First attested in the 17th century.

• IPA^(key): [ˈɦox]

• Audio:

  (file)

hoch m anim (female equivalent holka)

1. boy

   Synonyms: kluk, chlapec

• hoša, hošan, hošánek, hošek, hošíček, hošík

• “hoch”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “hoch”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “hoch”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

From Middle High German hōch, from Old High German hōh, from Proto-West Germanic *hauh, from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kewk-, a suffixed form of *kew-. Compare Dutch hoog, Low German hoog, English high, Swedish hög.

The irregular declension from the stem hoh- is due to the development of Old High German -h-, which in Middle High German became /x/ in coda position, but /h/ elsewhere (the latter was then gradually lost, starting from the north). Stem alternations of this kind were usually levelled in modern German, as for example in nah (but compare nach), Schuh (Middle High German nāch, schuoch). Most dialects have also levelled hoch, but the standard language has preserved the alternation in this isolated case.

• IPA^(key): /hoːx/

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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• Audio (Austria):

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hoch (strong nominative masculine singular hoher, comparative höher, superlative am höchsten)

1. high, tall
2. high, great, immense
3. grand, important
4. (colloquial) hard to comprehend, confusing

   Dieses Rätsel ist mir zu hoch. ― This riddle beats me. (literally, “This riddle is too confusing for me.”)

• groß

• niedrig
• nieder

hoch (comparative höher, superlative am höchsten)

1. up, upwards
2. (colloquial, figurative) northwards

   Wir fahren hoch an die Küste.

   We'll drive up to the coast.

3. (mathematics) to the power of

   fünf hoch vier

   five to the power of four, (5⁴)

• “hoch” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “hoch” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

hoch (plural hochs)

1. hock