der Kamel
noun · /kaˈmeːl/ ·Etymology
Inherited from Middle High German kemel, kemmel, kembel, borrowed during the Crusades from Byzantine Greek κάμηλος (kámēlos), probably in part also from Arabic جَمَل (jamal), which best explains the e-vocalism (as Arabic a is [æ] or even [ɛ] in this word). The modern form with final stress is a 16th-century learned alteration after Latin camēlus, itself from Ancient Greek, from a Semitic language. It was accordingly mostly spelt Kameel until the early 20th century (a spelling then abolished after words like Klientel, parallel). An older term for the animal was Old High German olbenta.
Translation
-
camel
neuter, strong
Ein Kamel ist, sozusagen, ein Wüstenschiff.
A camel is, so to speak, a ship on the desert.
Ein Kamel ist in der Wüste, was ein Schiff auf See ist.
A camel is to the desert what a ship is to the sea.
Dieses Kamel ist so zahm, dass es jeder reiten kann.
This camel is so tame that anyone can ride it.
- a stupid person dated, informal, neuter, strong
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Kamel | Kamele |
| Accusative | Kamel | Kamele |
| Dative | Kamel | Kamelen |
| Genitive | Kamels | Kamele |