Jungfer

German

Etymology

Weakened form of Jungfrau (cf. Dutch juffer). Both words originally meant “unmarried (noble) woman” but have become semantically distinct.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈjʊŋ.fɐ/
Audio: (file)

Noun

Jungfer f (genitive Jungfer, plural Jungfern, diminutive Jungferchen n)

(archaic) maid, maiden; virgin
unmarried woman; (old) maid, spinster
Nach dem Krieg herrschte Männermangel und viele Frauen sind Jungfer geblieben.
After the war, there was a deficit of men and many women stayed unmarried.
(printing, archaic) petit, a size of type between Kolonel and Bourgeois, standardized as 8 point

Usage notes

As with the English old maid, Jungfer is most often used in combination with the adjective alt (“old”): eine alte Jungfer. The term is used as an intensifier and does not necessarily denote the woman is actually elderly.

The word has decreased in usage with changing mores but is not yet dated. While not per se pejorative, it can connote a lack of social success and may be considered offensive.

Declension

Declension of Jungfer [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Jungfer	die	Jungfern
genitive	einer	der	Jungfer	der	Jungfern
dative	einer	der	Jungfer	den	Jungfern
accusative	eine	die	Jungfer	die	Jungfern

Synonyms

(8-point type): Petit, Jungfrauschrift