Vorsicht

German

Alternative forms
  • Fürsicht (obsolete)

Etymology

Chiefly a backformation from vorsichtig, from Middle High German vorsihtec, vürsihtec, from Old High German foresihtig, derived from foresiht, a calque of Latin providentia and provisio. By surface analysis, vor- +‎ Sicht. Doublet of Vorsehung. Although the noun must underlie the adjective, the former is not attested again (after Notker) before the 15th century; it remained rare until ca. 1650. Compare Dutch voorzicht, English foresight.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfoːʁˌzɪçt/, [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɪçt], [ˈfɔɐ̯-]
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: Vor‧sicht

Noun

Vorsicht f (genitive Vorsicht, no plural)

  1. caution, cautiousness
  2. (dated) precaution, providence, provision
    Synonyms: Vorsorge, Vorkehrung

Declension
Declension of Vorsicht [sg-only, feminine]
singular
indef. def. noun
nominative eine die Vorsicht
genitive einer der Vorsicht
dative einer der Vorsicht
accusative eine die Vorsicht

Derived terms

Interjection

Vorsicht!

  1. beware!, caution!, careful!

Further reading
  • “Vorsicht” in Duden online
  • “Vorsicht” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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