Linse

See also: linse and lìnsè

German

Etymology

From Middle High German linse, from Old High German linsa, likely a borrowing from an unidentified source.

Compare Latin lēns, Lithuanian lęšis, and Old Church Slavonic лѧща (lęšta) sounding too similar for a coincidence, however different enough to prohibit reconstruction of a common PIE protoform.

If ultimately a non-IE loanword, locating the source is virtually impossible because cultivation of lentil was widespread in the region since the Neolithic.

The sense ‘lens’ is a semantic loan from Latin lēns (“lentil; lens”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪnzə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Linse f (genitive Linse, plural Linsen)

1. (optics) lens
2. (botany or foods) lentil

Derived terms

• linsenförmig
• Linsensuppe

Further reading

• “Linse” in Duden online