Ähre

German

Getreideähren — corn ears (from left to right: barley, wheat, rye) (1)

Die Ähre eines Grashalmes. — The head of a grass stalk. (2)

Etymology

From Old High German ahir, from Proto-Germanic *ahaz. Cognate with Dutch aar, English ear, West Frisian ier. Ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”).

Further Indo-European cognates: Latin aciēs (“edge”) and acus (“needle”), Ancient Greek ἄκρος (ákros), Russian острый (ostryj), Lithuanian ass (“sharp”), Tocharian B āk (“ear, awn”).

More at Ecke and hören.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛːʀə/ (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /ˈeːʀə/ (overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)
• Rhymes: -ɛːʀə

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Ähre f (genitive Ähre, plural Ähren, diminutive Ährchen n)

1. (botany, countable) the ear (of corn)

   Synonym: Getreideähre

2. (botany, countable) the head, ear (of grass seed)

   Synonym: Grasähre

3. (botany, countable) the spike (of a flower)

   Synonym: Blütenähre

Hypernyms

• Pflanze f
• Getreide n

Hyponyms

• Korn n

Derived terms

• Ährenfeld n
• Ährenkranz m
• Ährenspindel f
• Scheinähre f

 

Further reading

• “Ähre” in Duden online