gegen

See also: gegen-

German

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German gegen, from Old High German gagan, from Proto-West Germanic *gagin, from Proto-Germanic *gagin. Cognate with Dutch tegen, English against, Icelandic gegn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡe.ɡən/, [ˈɡeː.ɡn̩], [ˈɡeː.ɡŋ̍]

• audio

  (file)

Preposition

gegen (+ accusative)

1. against

   Synonym: wider

   Die Erklärung der Vereinten Nationen über die Beseitigung der Gewalt gegen Frauen.

   The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

2. toward (i.e. directed to someone/something)
3. toward (i.e. in the direction of)
4. approximately, around
5. in exchange for
6. facing
7. compare to

Usage notes

• Like its Middle High German predecessor, gegen was formerly also used with the dative, especially by Upper German writers. Compare entgegen, which still takes dative.

Further reading

• “gegen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle High German

Alternative forms

• gagen, jegen
• gein, gēn (contractions)

Etymology

Inherited from Old High German gagan, gagen, gegin.

Preposition

gegen (+ dative, sometimes + accusative)

1. against

Descendants

• Alemannic German: gege
• Cimbrian: ghéghen
• German: gegen
• Hunsrik: geghe
• Yiddish: קעגן (kegn)