Neanderthal

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From the name of the German valley where Neanderthal 1 was discovered in 1856. The Düsseltal (from German Düssel, a small tributary of the River Rhine + tal (“valley”)) itself was renamed (from Das Gesteins (“The Rockiness”) and/or Das Hundsklipp (“The Cliff of Dogs”)) in the early 19^th century to Neandershöhle (“Neander’s Hollow”), and again in 1850 to Neanderthal (“Neander Valley”); both names were in honour of the German Calvinist theologian and hymn writer Joachim Neander (1650–1680). The surname Neander is a Romanisation of the Greek translation of the original German surname Neumann (“New man”), for which reason Homo neanderthalensis is sometimes called New man in English.

Pronunciation

• (German) enPR: (approximately): né.ănʹdə(r)täl', IPA: /neˈan.dɐˌtaːl/, X-SAMPA: /ne"an.d6%ta:l/
• (UK) enPR: nē.ănʹdə.täl', IPA: /niːˈæn.dəˌtɑːl/, X-SAMPA: /ni:"{n.d@%tA:l/
• (US) enPR: nē.ănʹdər.thäl', IPA: /niːˈæn.dɚˌθɑːl/; enPR: nē.ănʹdər.täl', IPA: /niːˈæn.dɚˌtɑːl/, X-SAMPA: /ni:"{n.d@`%tA:l/

• Audio (US)

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Adjective

Neanderthal (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to Homines neanderthalenses.

   The capacity of the Neanderthal skull was 10% larger than that of modern humans.

2. Old-fashioned, opposed to change (in allusion to Homo neanderthalensis).
3. Of or pertaining to the Neander Valley in Germany.

Alternative forms

• (In sense 1, 2, and 3) Neandertal
• (In sense 2) neanderthal

Translations

of or pertaining to Homines neanderthalenses

• French: néandertalien (fr)

of or pertaining to Neander Valley

Noun

Neanderthal (plural Neanderthals)

1. A specimen of the now extinct species Homo neanderthalensis.
2. (pejorative) A primitive person.

Alternative forms

• (In sense 1 and 2) Neandertal
• (In sense 2) neanderthal

Translations

A Homo neanderthalensis specimen

• Esperanto: neandertala homo (eo), neandertalulo (eo)
• French: homme de Néandertal (fr)
• German: Neandertaler (de) m
• Japanese: ネアンデルタール人 (ja) (neanderutārujin)

• Korean: 네안데르탈인 (ko) (neandereutar-in)
• Mandarin: 尼安德特人 (cmn) (níāndétèrén); 尼安德塔人 (cmn) (níāndétǎrén)
• Spanish: neandertal (es) m

A primitive person

• German: Neandertaler (de) m