Tölpel

German

Etymology

From a merger of dialectal tolp (with variants; of unknown, probably onomatopoetic, origin) and Middle High German dörpel, itself dissimilated from dörper, from Middle Low German dorper (“villager”), from dorp (“village”). Both of these words meant “rude, gruff person”, and dörper/dörpel particularly “uncultured, unrefined person”. The name of the bird is due to its apparently clumsy movements.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈtœlpəl/, [ˈtœlpəl], [ˈtœlpl̩]
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Tölpel m (genitive Tölpels, plural Tölpel)

  1. someone who acts in a clumsy or awkward way (physically or socially)
  2. idiot, fool
  3. gannet (a sea bird)

Declension
Declension of Tölpel
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Tölpel die Tölpel
genitive eines des Tölpels der Tölpel
dative einem dem Tölpel den Tölpeln
accusative einen den Tölpel die Tölpel

Derived terms
  • tölpelhaft
  • übertölpeln

Further reading
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