Zofe

German

Alternative forms

• Zaufe, Zoffe, Zohfe, Zoofe, Zove (obsolete)

Etymology

17th century, from East Central German dialects. Earlier already Zoffmagd (16th c.). Pertaining to a group of (probably interrelated) verbs zoffen, zaffen (“to hesitate”), zaufen (“to step back, walk behind”), Middle High German zāven (“to pull, rear, groom”). Which form exactly underlies seems uncertain; Middle High German -o-, -ou-, -ā- could all have become [oː] in the dialects in question. The further origin is entirely unknown.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡soːfə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Zo‧fe

Noun

Zofe f (genitive Zofe, plural Zofen, diminutive Zöfchen n)

1. (historical) lady's maid (personal handmaid of a noblewoman)

   Synonym: Kammerjungfer

Declension

Declension of Zofe [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Zofe	die	Zofen
genitive	einer	der	Zofe	der	Zofen
dative	einer	der	Zofe	den	Zofen
accusative	eine	die	Zofe	die	Zofen

Hypernyms

• Dienerin

Further reading

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