Siebenschläfer

German

Etymology

From Middle High German siben slāfære, referring to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. Univerbation since the 15th century. Use for “one who sleeps a lot” since the 17th century. The biological sense since the 18th century because of the animal's hibernation, which may last more than seven months.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈziːbənˌʃlɛːfər/, [ˈziː.bm̩ˌʃlɛː.fɐ], [-ˌʃleː-]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Siebenschläfer m (strong, genitive Siebenschläfers, plural Siebenschläfer, feminine Siebenschläferin)

1. (biology) edible dormouse
2. (Christianity, mythology) (one of) the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
3. (Christianity, also meteorology) Seven Sleepers Day, June 27

   Synonym: Siebenschläfertag

4. (figurative) sleepyhead, one who sleeps a lot or rises late

   Synonyms: Schlafmütze, Langschläfer

Declension

Declension of Siebenschläfer [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Siebenschläfer	die	Siebenschläfer
genitive	eines	des	Siebenschläfers	der	Siebenschläfer
dative	einem	dem	Siebenschläfer	den	Siebenschläfern
accusative	einen	den	Siebenschläfer	die	Siebenschläfer

Further reading

• “Siebenschläfer” in Duden online
• “Siebenschläfer” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Siebenschläfer on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de