Nelke

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See also: nelke and neļķe

German

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Etymology

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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

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  • IPA(key): [ˈnɛlkə]
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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Nelke f (genitive Nelke, plural Nelken)

  1. clove (aromatic flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum) [from 13th c.]
    Synonym: Gewürznelke
  2. carnation, pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) (named by analogy for its clove-like smell) [from 15th c.]

Declension

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Descendants

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  • Cimbrian: nelke
  • Latvian: neļķe

Further reading

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  • Nelke” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Nelke” in Duden online