Lenz

See also: lenz

English

Proper noun

Lenz (plural Lenzes)

1. A surname

Derived terms

• Lenz dysmorphogenetic syndrome
• Lenz dysplasia
• Lenz-Majewski hyperostotic dwarfism
• Lenz-Majewski syndrome
• Lenz microphthalmia syndrome
• Lenz syndrome

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. By surface analysis, from lang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛnt͡s/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Homophone: lenz

Noun

Lenz m (strong, genitive Lenzes, plural Lenze)

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

   Synonyms: Frühling, Frühjahr

   • 1876, Richard Wagner, “Siegried”, in Der Ring des Nibelungen, act I, scene iii:

     Fern von hier folge mir nun, fort in des Lenzes lachendes Haus

     Far from here follow me now, away to springtime's smiling house

   • 1977, Mascha Kaléko, Sozusagen grundlos vergnügt:

     Dass Herbst dem Sommer folgt und Lenz dem Winter,
     Gefällt mir wohl. Da steckt ein Sinn dahinter,
     Wenn auch die Neunmalklugen ihn nicht sehn.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

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
• Lenzing

See also

• faulenzen (not originally related, but associated)

Further reading

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

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Lenz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛnt͡s/
• Rhymes: -ɛnt͡s
• Syllabification: Lenz

Proper noun

Lenz m pers

1. a male surname

Declension

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

Proper noun

Lenz f (indeclinable)

1. a female surname

Derived terms

• Lenzowa
• Lenzówna

See also

• Appendix:Polish surnames