albern
German
Etymology
From Middle High German alwære, from Old High German alawāri (“friendly, good-natured”), from a compound of Proto-Germanic *allaz (“all”) + *wēraz (“true; friendly”). The final -n is an original case ending that was added to the stem in German Low German territory (compare schüchtern). Close cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐍅𐌴𐍂𐌴𐌹 (allawērei, “sincerity, simplicity”); for a similar semantic association between "silliness" and "friendliness", compare the unrelated English nice.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈalbərn/, [ˈʔalbɐn], [ˈʔälb̥ɐn] (most of Germany, some of Austria)
Audio: (file) Audio: (file) - IPA(key): /ˈalbərn/, [ˈʔɑlb̥ərn], [ˈʔälb̥ərn], [ˈʔälb̥ɛrn] (Switzerland, some of Austria)
Adjective
albern (strong nominative masculine singular alberner, comparative alberner, superlative am albernsten)
Declension
Positive forms of albern
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | |||
| predicative | er ist albern | sie ist albern | es ist albern | sie sind albern | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | alberner | alberne | albernes | alberne |
| genitive | albernen | alberner | albernen | alberner | |
| dative | albernem | alberner | albernem | albernen | |
| accusative | albernen | alberne | albernes | alberne | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der alberne | die alberne | das alberne | die albernen |
| genitive | des albernen | der albernen | des albernen | der albernen | |
| dative | dem albernen | der albernen | dem albernen | den albernen | |
| accusative | den albernen | die alberne | das alberne | die albernen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein alberner | eine alberne | ein albernes | (keine) albernen |
| genitive | eines albernen | einer albernen | eines albernen | (keiner) albernen | |
| dative | einem albernen | einer albernen | einem albernen | (keinen) albernen | |
| accusative | einen albernen | eine alberne | ein albernes | (keine) albernen | |
Comparative forms of albern
Superlative forms of albern
Derived terms
- Albernheit