Alk

See also: alk, alk., and alk-

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alk

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Swedish alka (used scientifically by Carl von Linné), from Old Norse alka, from Proto-Germanic *alkǭ.

Noun

Alk m (mixed or strong or weak, genitive Alks or Alkes or Alken, plural Alken or Alke)

1. auk, any bird of the family Alcidae

   Synonym: (chiefly when collective for different species) Alkenvogel

Usage notes

• The word appears to be used predominantly with mixed declension, that is genitive in -(e)s and plural in -en. Pure strong declension (plural in -e) and weak declension are also found.

Declension

Declension of Alk [masculine, mixed // strong // weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Alk	die	Alken, Alke
genitive	eines	des	Alks, Alkes, Alken	der	Alken, Alke
dative	einem	dem	Alk, Alke1, Alken	den	Alken
accusative	einen	den	Alk, Alken	die	Alken, Alke

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Aleutenalk
• Bartalk
• Craverialk
• Japanalk
• Kurzschnabelalk
• Lummenalk
• Marmelalk
• Nashornalk
• Riesenalk
• Rotschnabelalk
• Schopfalk
• Silberalk
• Tordalk
• Zwergalk

 

Etymology 2

Clipping of Alkohol.

Noun

Alk m (strong, genitive Alks, no plural)

2. (colloquial) alcohol (especially in the sense of “alcoholic drink”)
   • 2010, “Alkohol”, in Undercover, performed by Sa4:

     Ich hab' auf Alk so viel Fehler gemacht / Denn nach jedem Glas denk' ich weniger nach / Doch ich steh' an der Tanke, geb' mir die Kante

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of Alk [sg-only, masculine, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Alk
genitive	eines	des	Alks
dative	einem	dem	Alk
accusative	einen	den	Alk

Derived terms

• Alki