Donau
Danish
Proper noun
Donau
- Danube
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from German Donau. The Middle Dutch name was denouwe.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdoːnɑu̯/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: Do‧nau
Proper noun
Donau f
- (geography) The river Danube, which flows to the Black Sea [from 17th c.]
Derived terms
- Donauland
- Donaumonarchie
- Donauzalm
Related terms
- Danubisch
German
Alternative forms
- Dunau, Tonau, Dhonau, Thonau, Donaw, Dunaw, Dhonaw, Tonaw, Tunaw, Thonaw, Thunaw (obsolete)
Etymology
Attested in this form at least since 1544. From earlier Donaw (since 1530s, D under Low German influence), from earlier Tonaw (since late 15th c., o possibly also under Low German influence), from Middle High German Tuonawe, perhaps under Slavic influence from earlier Tuonowe, Tuonow, from Old High German Tuonouwa, from something like Proto-West Germanic *Dōnauwju (cf. Middle Low German Dônouwe, Dônouw), from Proto-Germanic *Dōnawjaz paretymologically attracted to *auwju (“floodplain, meadow”), from Proto-Celtic *Dānowyos, an extended form of the river-name *Dānu, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂nu (“river goddess”), akin to *dʰenh₂- (“to set in motion; to flow”).
Pronunciation
Audio (Austria) (file) Audio (file)
Proper noun
die Donau f (proper noun, usually definite, definite genitive der Donau)
- Danube (a river that flows through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine; the second-longest river in Europe)
- 1544, Lorenz Fries, Historie, Nahmen, Geschlecht, Wesen, Thaten, gantz Leben und Sterben der gewesenen Bischoffen zu Wirtzburg und Hertzogen zu Francken
- Aposteln nach der länge anzeigen; fiengan den christlichen glauben von dem jüdischen land aus allenthalben in die heydenschafft durch das römische Reich biß an die Donau, das ist, in den landen, die den Römern oder damahls ihren Kaysern unterworffen waren, zu predigen.
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- 1544, Lorenz Fries, Historie, Nahmen, Geschlecht, Wesen, Thaten, gantz Leben und Sterben der gewesenen Bischoffen zu Wirtzburg und Hertzogen zu Francken
Related terms
- Donaudelta
- Donauebene
- Donaufluss
- Donauhafen
- Donaulachs
- Donaumündung
- Donauquelle
- Donauschiff
- Donaustadt
- Donauufer
- Donauwasser
- Donauwelle
Descendants
- → Dutch: Donau
- → Low German: Donau
- → Icelandic: Dóná
- → Norwegian Nynorsk: Donau
- → Norwegian Bokmål: Donau
- → Swedish: Donau
- → Danish: Donau
Further reading
- “Donau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Donau” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “Donau” in Duden online
Donau on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
Norwegian Bokmål
Proper noun
Donau
- the River Danube
Norwegian Nynorsk
Proper noun
Donau
- the River Danube
Swedish
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ʉː
Proper noun
Donau c
- (geography) The river Danube, which flows to the Black Sea