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)

  1. maypole (garlanded pole put up for May Day, e.g. on a village square)
    • 2010, Der Spiegel‎, number 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 […]
  2. (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 rare, see notes.

Further reading
  • “Maibaum” in Duden online
  • “Maibaum” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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