die Feige
Translation
fig, coward
Examples
Im Sommer esse ich gerne frische Feigen.
In summer, I like to eat fresh figs.
Er wurde als Feige beschimpft.
He was insulted as a coward.
Grammar Patterns
((et4)) as a fruit. Ich esse eine Feige.
((j-n)) as a coward. Er ist eine Feige.
Similar Words
Synonyms: (fruit) Frucht; (person) Feigling, Angsthase. Antonyms: (person) Held (hero).
Etymology
The fruit 'fig' comes from Old High German 'fīga', from Latin 'fīcus'. 'Coward' has a different origin, from Middle High German 'veige' (doomed to die), which shifted to mean 'fearful'.
Memory Tips
Imagine a coward ('Feige') hiding behind a fig tree ('Feige'). This mental image links the two distinct meanings of the word.