Lenz

German

Alternative forms

• Lenze (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German lenze, from Old High German lenzo, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn. Related to English Lent and Dutch lente.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛn(t)s/, [lɛnt͡s]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: lenz

Noun

Lenz m (strong, genitive Lenzes, plural Lenze)

1. (archaic, poetic or humorous) spring (season)

   Synonyms: Frühling, Frühjahr

Usage notes

• Now used in the expression fauler Lenz or lauer Lenz (“a period of idleness”), and sometimes jocularly to give the age of a person (like English summer). In the actual sense of “spring” now only poetic, but even then markedly archaic-sounding. Still widely known is the song title Veronika, der Lenz ist da.

Declension

Declension of Lenz [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Lenz	die	Lenze
genitive	eines	des	Lenzes	der	Lenze
dative	einem	dem	Lenz, Lenze1	den	Lenzen
accusative	einen	den	Lenz	die	Lenze

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• lenzen

See also

• faulenzen (not originally related, but associated)

Further reading

• “Lenz” in Duden online
• “Lenz” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

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Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Lenz.

Proper noun

Lenz m pers or f

1. a masculine surname
2. a feminine surname

Declension

Masculine surname:

Declension of Lenz

	singular	plural
nominative	Lenz	Lenzowie
genitive	Lenza	Lenzów
dative	Lenzowi	Lenzom
accusative	Lenza	Lenzów
instrumental	Lenzem	Lenzami
locative	Lenzie	Lenzach
vocative	Lenzie	Lenzowie

The feminine surname is indeclinable.

Derived terms

• Lenzowa
• Lenzówna

 

See also

• Appendix:Polish surnames