Trottel

German

Etymology

Of Austrian origin. The exact etymology is unknown but presumed to derive from trotteln (saunter, ramble, walk without a specific destination).[1][2]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈtʁɔtəl/, [ˈtʁɔtl̩]
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Trottel m (strong, genitive Trottels, plural Trottel)

  1. idiot, fool, boob, etc.
    Er ist nur ein alter Trottel. ― He's just an old duffer.
    • 1998, “Tranquilo”, in Power, performed by Fischmob:
      Nicht so wie Gott – der hat die Welt in sieben Tagen errichtet / So wird es berichtet, doch ich hätte verzichtet / Wär' der alte Trottel doch im Bett geblieben!
      Unlike God – he has created the world in seven days / That's how they say, but I'd have done without / The old idiot had better stayed in bed!

Declension
Declension of Trottel [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Trottel die Trottel
genitive eines des Trottels der Trottel
dative einem dem Trottel den Trotteln
accusative einen den Trottel die Trottel

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants
  • → Czech: trotl
  • → Serbo-Croatian: trotl

References
  1. Friedrich Kluge (2001) Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 24th edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN
  2. Wissenschaftlicher Rat der Dudenredaktion (2001) Annette Klosa et al., editors, Deutsches Universalwörterbuch, 4th edition, Mannheim/Leipzig/Wien/Zürich: Duden, →ISBN

Further reading
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