schräg

German

Etymology

16th century; derived from Middle High German schrage (“grid of items arranged crosswise, e.g. of wooden pegs”), probably related with schränken (“to arrange crosswise”), from Old High German screnken (“to slant”), from Proto-Germanic *skrankaz (“barrier, grid”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”).

Cognate with Dutch schraag, German Schranke (“gate, barrier”). Older derivatives are Middle High German schregen (“to have crooked legs; to walk in a slanted manner”), Old High German scregihōrī (“state of being slanted”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃʁɛːk/ (prescriptive standard; south-western Germany, Switzerland; also west-central Germany)

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ʃʁeːk/ (south-eastern Germany, Austria; also northern and east-central Germany)
• IPA^(key): /ʃʁɛːç/ (west-central Germany; now chiefly colloquial)
• IPA^(key): /ʃʁeːç/ (northern and east-central Germany; now chiefly colloquial)

Adjective

schräg (strong nominative masculine singular schräger, comparative schräger, superlative am schrägsten)

1. skewed, oblique, slanted (neither parallel nor at a right angle to some implied line)

   schräger Blick ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (informal) strange, weird, awkward

   schräger Vogel ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   schräge Tour ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 2022 April 23, Robert Matthies, “Ab in die Kapsel”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz‎, →ISSN, page 49:

     Bunker sind Popkultur, Survivalism ist im Mainstream angekommen, wer mit Preppen als Hobby anfangen will, muss nicht mehr in schrägen Internetforen abhängen, sondern bekommt praktische Starter­sets.

     Bunkers are pop culture, survivalism has entered the mainstream, and anyone who wants to start prepping as a hobby no longer has to hang out in weird internet forums, but can get practical starter sets.

Declension

Related terms

Descendants

• Hungarian: srég

See also

• schief (“crooked”)

References

Further reading

• “schräg” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “schräg” in Duden online