Spatz
See also: spatz
Alemannic German
Alternative forms
- Schpatz
Etymology
From Middle High German spaz, spatze, a diminutive of spare, from Old High German sparo (“sparrow”), from Proto-Germanic *sparwô. Cognate with German Spatz.
Noun
Spatz m (plural Spatze, diminutive Spätzli)
- sparrow
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃpats/
- Rhymes: -ats
audio (file)
Etymology 1
From the diminutive of Old High German sparo.
Noun
Spatz m (genitive Spatzen or Spatzes, plural Spatzen)
- (especially southern and western) sparrow
- (ornithology, technical) house sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Usage notes
The word may have weak or strong declension in the standard language. In the colloquial, it is almost exclusively strong.
Declension
Declension of Spatz
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Spatz | die | Spatzen |
| genitive | eines | des | Spatzen | der | Spatzen |
| dative | einem | dem | Spatzen | den | Spatzen |
| accusative | einen | den | Spatzen | die | Spatzen |
Declension of Spatz
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Spatz | die | Spatzen |
| genitive | eines | des | Spatzes | der | Spatzen |
| dative | einem | dem | Spatz, Spatze1 | den | Spatzen |
| accusative | einen | den | Spatz | die | Spatzen |
1Now uncommon, see notes
Synonyms
- (sparrow): Sperling
- (house sparrow): Haussperling
Descendants
- → Luxembourgish: Spatz
Etymology 2
From Spatz (“sparrow”), but with a different plural on the model of the rhyming word Schatz.
Noun
Spatz m (genitive Spatzes, plural Spätze)
- an affectionate nickname, mostly used towards children, more seldom towards lovers, almost never with friends
- Hallo, mein Spatz! – Hello, sweetie!
- Hallo, meine Spätze! – Hello, my darlings!
Declension
Declension of Spatz
| singular | plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Spatz | die | Spätze |
| genitive | eines | des | Spatzes | der | Spätze |
| dative | einem | dem | Spatz, Spatze1 | den | Spätzen |
| accusative | einen | den | Spatz | die | Spätze |
1Now uncommon, see notes
Further reading
- Spatz in Duden online
Luxembourgish
e Spatz
Etymology
Form German Spatz.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃpɑts/
- Rhymes: -ɑts
- Homophone: spatz
Noun
Spatz m (plural Spatzen)
- sparrow
Synonyms
- Mësch (the originally Luxembourgish word)