Degen
German
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old High German degan, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *þegnaz, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *tek-. Cognate with Dutch degen, English thane, Icelandic þegn, Ancient Greek τέκνον (téknon).
Noun
Degen m (genitive Degens, plural Degen)
Derived terms
- degenheit (16th century) "bravery, courage"
- brût-degen "husband, bridegroom"
- Personal names: edil-degan drût-degan heri-degan swert-degan, diet-degen, volc-degen
Etymology 2
Related to French dague and English dagger. The etymology of these terms is unclear. Some suggest that the French is a loan from the German, while others suggest the inverse. If taken from the French, the ultimate origin may be a hypothetical Latin *daca "Dacian [knife]".
15th century (degen, tegen, tägen, dägen, dim. däglin), together with Dolch replacing Middle High German mezzer (Messer). From the 17th century, the meaning "dagger" is restricted to Dolch while Degen comes to refer to longer weapons, especially thrust-oriented dueling swords, by the 18th century referring to any sword worn as part of a uniform.
Noun
Degen m (genitive Degens, plural Degen)