Leutnant
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See also: leutnant
German
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle French lieutenant (“lieutenant; deputy”), from tenir le lieu de (“to keep the position of”). Early on, the form was folk-etymologically reshaped, the first syllable being associated with Leute (“folk, men”), the last syllable sometimes with Amt (“post, office”). The normal spoken form in German has been Leut(e)nant since the 17th century, although the French spelling Lieutenant remained common and became standard in the 19th century. The contemporary spelling was introduced in the German Empire in 1899 amid rising Franco-German tensions and a general trend of Germanification.
Pronunciation
Noun
Leutnant m (strong, genitive Leutnants, plural Leutnante or Leutnants)
Usage notes
- The normal plural used to be Leutnants. Today both forms are roughly equally common. The preference seems to depend somewhat on stress patterns, meaning that Leutnante is more frequent in the simplex than in compounds.
Declension
Declension of Leutnant