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Nelke. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Nelke, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Nelke in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Nelke you have here. The definition of the word
Nelke will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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German
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle Low German nēgelke(n) (“little spike, nail”), from Old Saxon nagal (“nail”). Doublet of Nägelchen and Nägelein (archaic).
Low German-looking forms are already found in Middle High German negelkīn alongside negelīn; the contraction is first attested in Central German Nelekin. The feminine form in -e is a backformation from the plural. The name is due to the typical form of cloves; compare Latin clāvulus (“clove”), from clāvus (“nail”), of which the German form may be a loan translation.
Pronunciation
Noun
Nelke f (genitive Nelke, plural Nelken)
- clove (aromatic flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum)
- Synonym: Gewürznelke
- carnation, pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) (named by analogy for its clove-like smell)
Declension
Descendants
Further reading
- “Nelke” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Nelke” in Duden online