Krake

See also: krake, krakë, and kråke

German

Etymology

Ultimately from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *kr(o)k-sko (“arm”). Cognates include Bulgarian крак (krak, “leg, foot”), Lithuanian kárka (“pig's foot”), kirkãlis (“shinbone”), Serbo-Croatian krôk (“footstep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʁaːkə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Krake f or m (genitive Krake or Kraken, plural Kraken)

1. (chiefly sciences) a mollusk of the order Octopoda; an octopus in the broader sense
2. (mythology or figuratively) a kraken (sea monster)

   Das Schiff wurde von einer Krake (einem Kraken) versenkt.

   The ship was sunk by a kraken.

   die/der Krake des Kapitalismus ― the kraken of capitalism

Usage notes

• Krake, Oktopus and Tintenfisch are all distinguished in scientific use. Non-specialist speakers, however, tend to reserve Krake to the sea monster and use Tintenfisch and Oktopus interchangeably.
• Prescriptive grammars define Krake as masculine, which is the traditional usage and is still common in some regions. On the whole, however, Krake is now predominantly treated as feminine outside of scientific use.

Declension

Feminine gender

Masculine gender

See also

• Oktopus
• Tintenfisch

Further reading

• “Krake” in Duden online