Waffenfähigem

Waffenfähigem is the dative singular form of the German adjective *waffenfähig*, meaning “armed” or “capable of being armed”. The word is derived from *Waffe* (weapon) and the suffix *‑fähig* (capable). In ordinary speech the adjective appears in attributive position before a noun, e.g. *waffenfähiger Dienstbesatzung*. In the dative case the masculine and neuter adjective endings are *‑em*, so *waffenfähigem* would be used with a masculine or neuter noun in a dative construction, such as *mit einem waffenfähigem Gerät*.

In legal and security contexts *waffenfähigem* and its related noun forms (*Waffenfähigkeit*, *waffenfähiges Gerät*, *waffenfähige Vorrichtung*) are employed to describe objects or persons that are capable of being weaponised or are equipped with weaponry. German police manuals, court judgments, and legislative texts on weapons control often use the term to classify items that can be used as weapons, for example “waffenfähiges Ausrüstungsgegenstand” in regulations concerning the possession of arms in schools. The phrase is also found in the field of sports, especially in fencing and martial arts, where equipment or protective gear is described as *waffenfähigem Zubehör*.

While *waffenfähigem* is a textbook case of German adjective morphology, it is rarely used in everyday conversation. Most German speakers refer to a simple noun phrase such as *waffengefährdet* or *arme* when talking about armed individuals or objects. The specialized legal usage, however, has made the term a standard part of German jurisprudence and security discourse.