Götterdämmerung

English

Etymology

From German Götterdämmerung (twilight of the gods), especially as the title of an opera by Wagner; by erroneously translating Old Norse ragnarǫk (fate of the gods), misconstrued as ragnarøkkr (twilight of the gods).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡɒtəˈdæməɹʊŋ/ (or as German, below)

Noun

Götterdämmerung (uncountable)

  1. (Germanic mythology) The myth of the destruction of the gods in a final battle with the forces of evil; the apocalypse.
  2. Any cataclysmic downfall or momentous, apocalyptic event, especially of a regime or an institution.
    • 2005, Martin Torgoff, Can't Find My Way Home, Simon & Schuster 2005, p. 153:
      After so much music, love, and flowers, she felt benumbed, thunder-struck by this psychedelic Götterdämmerung.
    • 2010, PuppetGov, We Stand on the Cusp of one of Humanity’s Most Dangerous Moments:
      We will not, especially in the United States, avoid our Götterdämmerung.

Further reading


German

Etymology

From Götter, plural of Gott (god) + Dämmerung (haziness, nebulousness, dusk).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɡœtɐˌdɛməʀʊŋ/
  • (file)

Noun

Götterdämmerung f (genitive Götterdämmerung, plural Götterdämmerungen)

  1. twilight of the gods, Götterdämmerung

Declension

See also

Further reading

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