Ziege

Etymology
From, from , from. was originally found in Franconian dialects alongside otherwise exclusive. In Middle High German times, it established itself in the colonial dialects (East Central German) and also conquered vast areas of Low German, where the borrowing was predominant since at least the 15th century (due to a virtual lack of domestic goat breeding). During the same time, curiously, was widely lost in West Central German and Upper Franconian, its original provenance. Its eventual victory in the standard language was reinforced by its use in ’s Bible.

Noun

 * 1) goat
 * 2)  a stupid, stubborn person (usually female)
 * 1)  a stupid, stubborn person (usually female)

Usage notes

 * The singular refers principally to female goats, though it might also be used for male ones. The plural is entirely neutral with regard to natural gender.
 * The female gender may be specified by means of the word, which is uncommon in literary German, however.