Tölpel
German
Etymology
From a merger of dialectal tolp (with variants; of unknown, probably onomatopoetic, origin) and (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle High German dörpel, itself dissimilated from dörper, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Low German dorper (“villager”), from dorp (“village”). Both of these words meant “rude, gruff person”, and dörper/dörpel particularly “uncultured, unrefined person”. The name of the bird is due to its apparently clumsy movements.
Pronunciation
Noun
Tölpel m (genitive Tölpels, plural Tölpel)
- someone who acts in a clumsy or awkward way (physically or socially)
- idiot, fool
- gannet (a sea bird)
Declension
Derived terms
Further reading
- “Tölpel” in Duden online