Klabautermann

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Klabautermann.

Noun

Klabautermann

1. a water sprite (or nix) who assists sailors and fishermen on the Baltic Sea in their duties

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German

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] German Low German. Without doubt related, either originally or secondarily, to (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch kabouter(man). Further etymology unsettled. Several roots seem to have influenced the word phonetically and semantically, it being difficult to determine the oldest form. Assumed influences include:

• Middle Dutch cobbout (“goblin”), cognate of German Kobold.
• Low German klatern, klattern, cognate of German klettern (“to climb”). Compare the attested Low German klâtermænneken n.
• The verbs kalfatern (“to caulk”) and klabastern (“„to knock, to rumble“”) (compare Low German klabastern).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klaˈbaʊ̯tɐˌman/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Klabautermann m (genitive Klabautermanns or Klabautermannes, plural Klabautermänner, diminutive Klabautermännchen n)

1. (nautical) Klabautermann (a two-faced goblin believed to be both helpful and inauspicious to a ship's crew)

Further reading

• “Klabautermann” in Duden online