Gruft

From Middle High German gruft, kruft, from Old High German gruft, kruft, chruft, from Proto-West Germanic *krufti, an early borrowing from Latin crypta, from Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ). Cognate with Dutch krocht, Middle Low German kruft, Old English cruft. Doublet of Grotte and Krypta.

Some authors think that the word may have been merged with a native West Germanic *grufti, deverbal from *graban (“to dig”).^[1] However, since the form with ⟨g⟩ appears almost exclusively in High German, it is more probably due to secondary association with this verb. For the modern native understanding, Gruft is certainly a derivative of graben.

• IPA^(key): /ɡʁʊft/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊft

Gruft f (genitive Gruft, plural Grüfte or Gruften)

1. a vault, tomb, masoned grave; any kind, but especially one that is underground

   Synonyms: Grabgewölbe, Grabkammer, Mausoleum

   Wir besichtigen die Gruft der Bischöfe im Münsteraner Dom.

   We’ll visit the bishops’ vault in the cathedral of Münster.

2. an open grave

   Synonyms: Grube, (offenes) Grab

   Der Sarg wird mit Seilen in die Gruft hinabgelassen.

   The coffin is lowered into the open grave by means of ropes.

3. (regional, including Rhineland, Westphalia) a family grave, a parcel on a cemetery for usually two or more coffins

   Synonyms: Familiengrab, Grabparzelle, Grabstelle

   Die Gruft läuft noch 25 Jahre.

   The family grave has been leased for another 25 years.

• “Gruft” in Duden online
• “Gruft” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Gruft f (plural Grufte)

1. crypt
2. mine
3. vault