Single

From Old English sengel (“brushwood; burnt clearing”), a topographic surname for someone who lived by a brushwood.

Single (plural Singles)

1. A surname from Old English.

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Single is the 41886^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 519 individuals. Single is most common among White (88.44%) individuals.

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Single”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

In all senses from English single. The pronunciation is without /ɡ/ because German allows the cluster /ŋɡ/ only before full vowels, not before /ə/. The feminine gender of the musical sense is probably after Schallplatte f.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪŋəl/, [ˈsɪŋl̩]
• IPA^(key): /ˈzɪŋəl/ (dated)

• Audio

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Single f (genitive Single, plural Singles)

1. (music) single (45rpm vinyl record)
2. (music) single (song from an album, released individually)

Single m (strong, genitive Singles or Single, plural Singles or Single)

1. single; singleton (someone who is not involved in a stable romantic relationship)

• Not used in German to mean “unmarried”. For that, see ledig, unverheiratet (and nominalisations thereof). Single also generally implies an openness for romantic or sexual relations, so it would not commonly be used of someone living in celibacy, or of a widow(er) in their 80s. The usual word for “living alone without a family” is alleinstehend.
• The normal plural is Singles. Chiefly colloquially it may also be unchanged Single. Note, however, that the dative plural den Singlen, while unproblematic in speech, is awkward in writing (compare the same in the word Bachelor).

Single n (strong, genitive Singles or Single, plural Singles)

1. (tennis) single (game with one player on each side)

• “Single” in Duden online
• “Single” in Duden online
• “Single” in Duden online
• “Single” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache