Leutnant

See also: leutnant

German

Alternative forms

Leutenant (archaic)
Lieutenant (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle French lieutenant (“lieutenant; deputy”), from tenir le lieu de (“to keep the position of”). Early on, the form was folk-etymologically reshaped, the first syllable being associated with Leute (“folk, men”), the last syllable sometimes with Amt (“post, office”). The normal spoken form in German has been Leut(e)nant since the 17th century, although the French spelling Lieutenant remained common and became standard in the 19th century. The contemporary spelling was introduced in the German Empire in 1899 amid rising Franco-German tensions and a general trend of Germanification.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈlɔʏ̯tnant/
Audio (file)

Noun

Leutnant m (genitive Leutnants, plural Leutnante or Leutnants)

lieutenant

Usage notes

The normal plural used to be Leutnants, but Leutnante is now equally common or more common.

Declension

Declension of Leutnant

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Leutnant	die	Leutnante
genitive	eines	des	Leutnants	der	Leutnante
dative	einem	dem	Leutnant	den	Leutnanten
accusative	einen	den	Leutnant	die	Leutnante