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

• IPA^(key): /ˈtœlpəl/, [ˈtœlpəl], [ˈtœlpl̩]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Tölpel m (genitive Tölpels, plural Tölpel)

1. someone who acts in a clumsy or awkward way (physically or socially)
2. idiot, fool
3. gannet (a sea bird)

Derived terms

• tölpelhaft
• übertölpeln

Further reading

• “Tölpel” in Duden online