Bundesdorf
German
Etymology
Bund (“federation”) + Dorf (“village”)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈbʊndəsˌdɔɐ̯f], [-ˌdɔʁf]
Noun
Bundesdorf n (genitive Bundesdorfs or Bundesdorfes, no plural)
- (dated, humorous, derogatory) the city of Bonn, former capital of (West) Germany, labelled the “federal village” due to its provincial character and, originally, quite small size
Usage notes
- By 1960 the city had a population of under 140,000. It later grew to its current 300,000+, but never lost its provincial character, and hence the nickname, until being replaced as capital by Berlin in 1990/99.
Declension
Declension of Bundesdorf (uncountable)
| singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| indef. | def. | noun | |
| nominative | ein | der | Bundesdorf |
| genitive | eines | des | Bundesdorfes, Bundesdorfs |
| dative | einem | dem | Bundesdorf, Bundesdorfe1 |
| accusative | einen | den | Bundesdorf |
1Now uncommon, see notes