tüfteln

== German == === Etymology === Entered modern German from the Upper German language area. The exact origin is unclear. Grimm suggests a Rotwelsch origin (compare dufte). Kluge views it as a continuation of Middle High German tüfteln (“to knock, tap”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtʏftəln/ === Verb === tüfteln (weak, third-person singular present tüftelt, past tense tüftelte, past participle getüftelt, auxiliary haben) (intransitive) (informal) to tinker, to work on something, to attempt to work out a solution carefully and patiently [with an (+ dative) ‘on a project or idea’] ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === References === Kluge, Friedrich (1989), “tüfteln”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN “tüfteln” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961. Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “tüfteln”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN === Further reading === “tüfteln” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “tüfteln” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “tüfteln” in Duden online