der Ger
spear
A spear or throwing spear, especially as a weapon used by Germanic peoples in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
EXAMPLE
Der Ger war eine wichtige Waffe der germanischen Krieger.
The spear was an important weapon of Germanic warriors.
der Ger
spear
der Ger, die Gere
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Ger, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Gere |
| genitive | des Gers |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Ger | die Gere |
| accusative | den Ger | die Gere |
| dative | dem Ger | den Geren |
| genitive | des Gers des Geres | der Gere |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Historical register
'Der Ger' (the spear) is mainly found in historical and technical texts about weapons, warriors, and the Germanic past. The word is rarely used in everyday language today.
EXAMPLE
Im Museum wird ein gut erhaltener Ger aus der Völkerwanderungszeit gezeigt.
The museum displays a well-preserved spear from the Migration Period.
Typical collocations
The verbs 'führen' (to wield), 'werfen' (to throw), and 'tragen' (to carry) are often used with 'Ger'. The phrase 'mit einem Ger bewaffnet sein' (to be armed with a spear) also occurs in historical descriptions.
EXAMPLE
Der Krieger trug einen Ger und einen runden Schild.
The warrior carried a spear and a round shield.
Historical context
Signal words such as 'Grabfund' (grave find), 'germanische Krieger' (Germanic warriors), 'Schlacht' (battle), or 'Völkerwanderungszeit' (Migration Period) usually show that 'Ger' refers to a historical weapon.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Grabfund entdeckten die Archäologen neben dem Schwert auch einen Ger.
In the grave find, the archaeologists discovered a spear alongside the sword.
In real life
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