Eichhörnchen

German

Etymology

Diminutive of Eichhorn, folk etymology based on Eiche and Horn, but actually from Old High German eihhorno, from Proto-Germanic *aikwernô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *aig- (“move quickly”), cognate with Old English acol (“frightened”), and Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“squirrel”).[1][2] Compare Dutch eekhoorn, eekhoorntje, West Frisian iikhoarntsje, Middle English aquerne, Danish egern, Norwegian ekorn, Swedish ekorre, Icelandic íkorni.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): / ˈaɪ̯çˌhœʁnçən/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Eichhörnchen n (genitive Eichhörnchens, plural Eichhörnchen)

  1. squirrel (in the narrow sense, Sciurus vulgaris)
    Das Geheimnis des blauen Eichhörnchens
    The Secret of the Blue Squirrel

Declension
Declension of Eichhörnchen
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Eichhörnchen die Eichhörnchen
genitive eines des Eichhörnchens der Eichhörnchen
dative einem dem Eichhörnchen den Eichhörnchen
accusative ein das Eichhörnchen die Eichhörnchen

Synonyms

References
  1. Eichhörnchen in Duden online
  2. “Eichhörnchen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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