karl

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word karl. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word karl, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say karl in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word karl you have here. The definition of the word karl will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofkarl, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Karl and kärl

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse karl (man), from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (karilaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz, cognate with English churl, German Kerl, Dutch kerel.

Pronunciation

Noun

karl c (singular definite karlen, plural indefinite karle)

  1. farmhand (a man working at a farm)
  2. groom, ostler (a man looking after horses)
  3. (informal) bloke, chap, guy

Declension

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (karilaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kʰartl/,
    (file)
  • IPA(key): /kʰatl/,
    (file)
  • Rhymes: -artl
  • Rhymes: -atl

Noun

karl m (genitive singular karls, nominative plural karlar)

  1. man (male human)
  2. husband
  3. male of a species
  4. (video games) a character (in a video game, or in a RPG)
  5. (chess) a chess piece, a chessman

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse karl.

Noun

karl m

  1. Alternative spelling of kall

References

  • “karl” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring

Old Norse

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (karilaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz. Compare Old English ceorl, Old High German karal, karl.

Noun

karl m

  1. a man

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  • karl”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  1. ^ The Journal of English and Germanic Philology. Volume II. 237th page.
  2. ^ Antiqvarisk Tidskrift för Sverige. Tionde Delen. 1887-1891. 305th page.
  3. ^ Pfaff, Judith (2018). Nordic Names. Web.

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish karilʀ, from Old Norse karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ (karilaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz.

Pronunciation

Noun

karl c

  1. man (male human)
    Synonym: man
    Bra karl reder sig själv
    A good man manages on his own (proverb)
    • 1970, “Sjörövar-Fabbe [Pirate Fabbe (pet form of Fabian)]”, Astrid Lindgren (lyrics), Georg Riedel (music):
      Sjörövar-Fabbe, farfars far, är minsann en sjusärdeles karl. Kring alla hav han far och far, tjohej hadelittan lej.
      Pirate Fabbe, my great-grandfather, is indeed a remarkable man . Around all the seas he sails and sails, tjohej hadelittan lej .
    • 1972, Ted Gärdestad (lyrics and music), “Jag vill ha en egen måne [I want a moon of my own]”:
      Du har då aldrig trott på tårar. Det passar inte för en karl. Om man är över femton vårar, finns inga känslor kvar.
      You have never believed in tears . It doesn't suit a man. If you are over fifteen years old , there are no feelings left.
  2. husband
    Synonyms: man, make
  3. (male) member of a work force, employed to perform some particularly heavy or physically demanding job

Usage notes

Has connotations of being manly, and is as such somewhat frowned upon by certain feminists; but it also may have connotations of being able to perform a certain task. Compare the formulaic expression karl för sin ... (with some attribute), which denotes someone who is up to par with his role, and is able to perform at least by some minimal standards on his own. Here the role is usually something associated with the given attribute, though karl för sin hatt is associated with a more generic male role.

Declension

Declension of karl 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative karl karlen karlar karlarna
Genitive karls karlens karlars karlarnas

Derived terms

See also

References

Anagrams