Neanderthal

Neanderthal

See also: neanderthal

English

Alternative forms

• neanderthal, Neandertal

Etymology

From obsolete German Neanderthal, now spelled Neandertal, the name of a valley (German Tal, older also spelled Thal) near Düsseldorf where the first Neanderthal was discovered in 1856. A hollow near the valley was known as Neanderhöhle (“Neander Hollow”) and Neandershöhle (“Neander’s Hollow”) in the early 19th century, and the valley had been renamed to Neanderthal in 1850, in honour of the German Calvinist theologian and hymn writer Joachim Neander (1650–1680). Before, the valley was known as das Gesteins (literally “The Rocks”) and Hundsklipp (literally “Dog Cliff”).

The name of Joachim Neander is based on the Ancient Greek translation (νέος (néos) + ᾰ̓νήρ (anḗr)) of his original surname Neumann (“Newman”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: nē.ănʹdə.täl', IPA^(key): /niːˈæn.dəˌtɑːl/,[1]
• (US) enPR: nē.ănʹdər.thäl', IPA^(key): /niːˈæn.dɚˌθɑːl/; enPR: nē.ănʹdər.täl', IPA^(key): /niːˈæn.dɚˌtɑːl/,[1], IPA^(key): /niˈæn.dɚ.θəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

Neanderthal (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to Homo neanderthalensis.

   The capacity of the Neanderthal skull was 10% larger than that of modern humans.

   • 2019, Razib Khan, Arabia between Africa and Eurasia:

     […] In short, many assessments conclude that East Asians have more Neanderthal ancestry than Europeans, who have more Neanderthal ancestry than people in the Middle East.

2. (by extension) Old-fashioned, opposed to change.
3. Of or pertaining to the Neander Valley in Germany.

Translations

of or pertaining to Homo neanderthalensis

Belarusian: неандэрта́льскі (njeandertálʹski) Czech: neandertálský French: néandertalien (fr) Polish: neandertalski (pl) Russian: неандертальский (ru) (neandertalʹskij) Slovak: neandertálsky Spanish: neanderthal, neandertal (es) Ukrainian: неандерта́льський (neandertálʹsʹkyj)

of or pertaining to Neander Valley

Esperanto: neandertala Russian: неандерта́льский (ru) (neandɛrtálʹskij)

Noun

Neanderthal (plural Neanderthals)

1. A specimen of the now extinct species Homo neanderthalensis.
   • 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Picador, →ISBN, page 250-251:

     These injuries may reflect the rigors of hunting with the Neanderthals' limited repertoire of weapons; the Neanderthals never seem to have developed projectiles, so they would have to have gotten more or less on top of their prey in order to kill them.

2. (derogatory) A primitive, savage or uncivilized person.

Derived terms

• meanderthal
• Neanderthalian
• Neanderthalic
• Neanderthaloid
• sheanderthal

Translations

a Homo neanderthalensis specimen

Catalan: neandertal m Chinese: Mandarin: 尼安德特人 (zh) (ní'āndétèrén), 尼安德塔人 (zh) (ní'āndétǎrén) Czech: neandertálec m Danish: neandertaler c Dutch: neanderthaler (nl) m Esperanto: neandertalulo, neandertala homo French: homme de Néandertal (fr) m German: Neandertaler (de) m Icelandic: neanderdalsmaður m, neandertalsmaður m Japanese: ネアンデルタール人 (neanderutārujin) Korean: 네안데르탈인 (neandereutarin) Latin: homo Neanderthalensis m Macedonian: неандерта́лец m (neandertálec) Navajo: Bilagáana bizází ałkʼidą́ą́ʼ yę́ęyígíí Polish: neandertalczyk (pl) m Portuguese: neandertal m or f Russian: неандерта́лец (ru) m (neandɛrtálec), неандерта́лка (ru) f (neandɛrtálka), палеоантропо́м m (paleoantropóm) (another name in the USSR) Spanish: neandertal (es) m Swedish: neandertalare (sv) c Ukrainian: неандерта́лець m (neandertálecʹ), неандерта́лка f (neandertálka)

a primitive person

Bulgarian: неандерта́лец m (neandertálec) Catalan: neandertal m Czech: neandertálec m Esperanto: neandertala homo, neandertalulo French: homme de Néandertal (fr) m Georgian: ნეანდერტალელი (neanderṭaleli) German: Neandertaler (de) m Macedonian: неандерта́лец m (neandertálec) Polish: neandertalczyk (pl) m Portuguese: neandertal m or f Russian: неандерта́лец (ru) m (neandɛrtálec), неандерта́лка (ru) f (neandɛrtálka) Spanish: neandertal (es) m Swedish: neandertalare (sv) c

References

1. “Neanderthal” in Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, 2009

Further reading

• Neanderthal at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Neanderthal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Neanderthal n (proper noun, strong, genitive Neanderthals)

1. Obsolete spelling of Neandertal

Usage notes

• The traditional spelling is retained in a few names such as Bahnhof Neanderthal and Neanderthal Museum.

Derived terms

• Neanderthaler