Spruch

German

Etymology

From Middle High German spruch, from Old High German *spruh, from Proto-West Germanic *spruki (“saying”), related to the verb *sprekan (“to speak”). Cognate with Dutch spreuk, German Low German Spröök.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃpʁʊx/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Spruch m (strong, genitive Spruches or Spruchs, plural Sprüche, diminutive Sprüchlein n or Sprüchelchen n)

1. short saying, expression or dictum that is remembered or is meaningful in itself
   1. stock phrase
   2. slogan

      Synonyms: Motto, Parole, Slogan

   3. sharp remark or repartee
   4. (often guter Spruch) witticism, witty quote

      Synonyms: Bonmot, geflügeltes Wort

   5. proverb, saying

      Synonyms: Sprichwort, Redensart

   6. popular verse or short poem
   7. particular kind of medieval lyric poem
2. (law) judgment, decision

Declension

Declension of Spruch [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Spruch	die	Sprüche
genitive	eines	des	Spruches, Spruchs	der	Sprüche
dative	einem	dem	Spruch, Spruche1	den	Sprüchen
accusative	einen	den	Spruch	die	Sprüche

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Bibelspruch (“Bible verse quoted or recited for inspiration”)
• Freispruch
• Funkspruch
• Gerichtsspruch (“judgment, verdict”)
• Gottesspruch (“divine oracle”)
• Liebesspruch (“love spell”)
• Narrenspruch (“fools' saying”)
• Richterspruch (“verdict, sentence”)
• Schiedspruch (“arbitration verdict, arbitral award”)
• Schuldspruch (“guilty verdict”)
• Sinnspruch (“life maxim, aphorism”)
• Trinkspruch (“toast (salutation)”)
• Urteilsspruch (“verdict, sentence”)
• Wahlspruch (“election slogan, motto”)
• Wahlspruch (“motto, slogan”)
• Wappenspruch (“heraldic motto”)
• Widerspruch (“objection, contradiction”)
• Zauberspruch (“magic spell”)

 

Related terms

• Sprache
• sprechen
• Sprichwort
• spruchreif
• spruchhaft
• Spruchrichter
• Anspruch
• Ausspruch
• Einspruch
• Zuspruch

See also

• Gedicht
• Lied

Further reading

• “Spruch” in Duden online
• “Spruch” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Spruch” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German spruch, from Old High German *spruh, from Proto-Germanic *sprukiz (“saying”), related to the verb *sprekaną (“to speak”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃprux/
• Rhymes: -ux
• Syllabification: Spruch

Noun

Spruch m (plural Sprich, diminutive Sprichelche)

1. saying
2. proverb

Further reading

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “Spruch”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 155