Dorn

See also: dorn and dòrn

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Dorn (plural Dorns)

1. A surname.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German dorn, from Old High German dorn, from Proto-West Germanic *þornu, from Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós, from *(s)ter- (“stiff”). Compare Low German Doorn; Durn (Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch); Däörn (Münsterländisch), Dutch doorn, English thorn, Danish torn, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐌿𐍃 (þaurnus).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔʁn/, [dɔʁn], [dɔɐ̯n]
• Rhymes: -ɔʁn

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Noun

Dorn m (mixed or strong, genitive Dornes or Dorns, plural Dornen or (colloquial) Dörner or (jargon) Dorne, diminutive Dörnchen n or Dörnlein n)

1. (botany, also figuratively) thorn (with plural Dornen or Dörner)

   Ein Kaktus hat keine Stacheln, sondern Dornen, während eine Rose keine Dornen, sondern Stacheln hat.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (botany, poetic) clipping of (with plural Dorne) Dornbusch (“thornbush”)
3. (engineering) bolt (with plural Dorne)

Declension

Declension of Dorn [masculine, mixed // strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Dorn	die	Dornen, Dörner2, Dorne3
genitive	eines	des	Dornes, Dorns	der	Dornen, Dörner2, Dorne3
dative	einem	dem	Dorn, Dorne1	den	Dornen, Dörnern2
accusative	einen	den	Dorn	die	Dornen, Dörner2, Dorne3

¹Now rare, see notes.
²Colloquial.
³Jargon.

Hyponyms

• Rosendorn (“rose thorn”)
• Undorn, Hülsdorn, Weißdorn

Derived terms

• dornenartig, dornig, dornlos

Related terms

• Dornbusch, Dornenbusch, Dorngesträuch, Dornenstrauch
• Dorn im Auge, keine Rose ohne Dornen

Further reading

• “Dorn” in Duden online
• “Dorn” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Dorn” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Dorn” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔn/

Noun

Dorn m (plural Derner, diminutive Dernche)

1. thorn

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “Dorn”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 37