Ersatz
/ˈɛər.zæts/noun
A substitute, especially an inferior or artificial replacement for something genuine.
Did you know?English speakers encountered Ersatz prominently during World War I, when “ersatz” goods such as substitute coffee and artificial materials became symbols of shortage and survival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sed-
“To sit or be seated”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*satjaną
“To set or place”
8th–11th Century
Old High German
sezzan
“To set, place, or establish”
12th–16th Century
Middle High German
ersetzen
“To replace or restore something in another’s place”
16th Century
German
Ersatz
“Replacement or compensation”
World War I
English
ersatz
“A substitute product, often one regarded as inferior”
Modern English
English
ersatz
“An artificial or inferior substitute”