Geimer

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German gingebere, from Latin gingiber. The Luxembourgish is probably based on a metathesed variant *gigembere (compare attested Old French gigimbre alongside gingembre, Middle Dutch gigeberre, modern Dutch gember). By regular loss of intervocalic -g-, this would then have developed through *gīmbere into the contemporary form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡɑɪ̯mɐ]

Noun

Geimer m (uncountable)

1. ginger (spice)

   Synonyms: (from German, now commonest) Ingwer, (from French) Gingembre

   • ca. 1800, Traditional (lyrics and music), “Zu Arel op der Knippchen”, adapted to modern orthography:

     Gläich ass de Mann bekëmmert: Hei, Mod! Schwenk du e Glas!
     An huel déi zënne Kännchen an zap vum beschte Faass!
     Setz alles bei dat Feier a maach et gliddeg heess!
     Donk Zocker dran a Geimer, da kënnt se an de Schweess!

     At once the husband takes charge: Hey, maid! You rinse a glass!
     And take the tin jug and tap from the best barrel!
     Set it all on the fire and make it glowing hot!
     Put in sugar and ginger, so she’ll start to sweat!

Further reading

• Geimer in the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire