Nelke

See also: neļķe

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German nēgelke(n), cognate of German Nägelchen (“little nail”). Low German-looking forms are already found in Middle High German negelkīn alongside negelīn; the contraction is first attested in Central German Nelekin. The feminine form in -e is a backformation from the plural. The name is due to the typical form of cloves; compare Latin clāvulus (“clove”), from clāvus (“nail”), of which the German form may be a loan translation.

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Noun

Nelke f (genitive Nelke, plural Nelken)

clove (plant; spice)
carnation, pink (plant)

Declension

Declension of Nelke

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Nelke	die	Nelken
genitive	einer	der	Nelke	der	Nelken
dative	einer	der	Nelke	den	Nelken
accusative	eine	die	Nelke	die	Nelken

Related terms

Pechnelke
Nägelchen
Nelkenwurz