Maibaum
German
Bayerischer Maibaum – Bavarian maypole
Rheinischer Maibaum – Rhenish maypole
Etymology
Mai (“May”) + Baum (“tree”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmaɪ̯baʊ̯m/
Noun
Maibaum m (strong, genitive Maibaumes or Maibaums, plural Maibäume)
- maypole (garlanded pole put up for May Day, e.g. on a village square)
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 23/2010, page 48:
- Sie kannte die Tradition, dass junge Männer in ihre Nachbardörfer schleichen und dort Maibäume stehlen. Mitgemacht hatte sie nie. Sie wusste auch nicht so genau, warum Menschen überhaupt Bäume anmalen und aufstellen […]
- She knew the tradition that young men sneak into their neighbor villages and steal maypoles there. She had never participated. Also she didn't know very well why people paint end erect trees at all […]
- 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 23/2010, page 48:
- (Rhineland, especially Cologne-Bonn area) a garlanded young birch tree that a young man puts up in front of the house of his sweetheart during the night before May Day
Declension
Declension of Maibaum [masculine, strong]
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Maibaum | die | Maibäume |
| genitive | eines | des | Maibaumes, Maibaums | der | Maibäume |
| dative | einem | dem | Maibaum, Maibaume1 | den | Maibäumen |
| accusative | einen | den | Maibaum | die | Maibäume |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
Related terms
- Maibowle
- Maitanz
- Apfelbaum
- Gummibaum
- Laubbaum
- Weihnachtsbaum
Further reading
- “Maibaum” in Duden online
- “Maibaum” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache