zwo

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: ȝwo

German

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Old High German zwō, from Proto-Germanic *twaōz, *twōz (see *twai), from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Zwo was originally feminine (see zween), but is now used as a variant of zwei without gender distinction. Compare, however, Luxembourgish zwou, which is still a feminine form of zwéin. The same is true of some German dialects, e.g. in Switzerland. More at two.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /t͡svoː/, [t͡sʋoː]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio:(file)

Numeral

[edit]

zwo

  1. (cardinal number) two
    Synonym: zwei

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Zwei is the usual German word for "two", but zwo is sometimes used as more clearly distinguishable from drei (three), especially over the telephone and in military parlance. Outside of these contexts, it is used chiefly in southern Germany and Austria.

Coordinate terms

[edit]

Numeral

[edit]

zwo

  1. feminine of zween

Further reading

[edit]
  • zwo” in Duden online
  • zwo” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache