doppelganger

See also: doppelgänger and Doppelgänger

English

WOTD – 15 July 2009

Alternative forms

• doppelgänger

Etymology

Borrowed from German Doppelgänger (“ghostly spirit”, literally “double-walker”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɒp(ə)lˌɡɛŋə/, /-ˌɡæŋə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈdɑp(ə)lˌɡɛŋəɹ/, /-ˌɡæŋəɹ/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Noun

doppelganger (plural doppelgangers)

1. A ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts such a person.
2. An evil twin.
3. A remarkably similar double; a lookalike.
4. (fantasy) A monster that takes the forms of people, usually after killing them.

Synonyms

• alter ego
• evil twin
• lookalike
• double

Translations

ghostly double of a living person

• Bulgarian: двойник (bg) m (dvojnik)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 分身 (zh) (fēnshēn), 生魂 (zh) (shēnghún)

• Danish: dobbeltgænger c
• Dutch: dubbelganger (nl) m or f
• Finnish: kaksoisolento (fi)
• German: Doppelgänger (de) m
• Irish: taise f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ドッペルゲンガー (dopperugengā)
• Korean: 도플갱어 (dopeulgaengeo)
• Norwegian: dobbeltgjenger m
• Persian: همزاد (fa) (hamzâd)
• Polish: sobowtór (pl) m
• Portuguese: doppelganger (pt) m, Doppelgänger m
• Russian: допельга́нгер m (dopelʹgánger), двойни́к (ru) m (dvojník)
• Spanish: otro yo
• Swedish: dubbelgångare (sv) c

evil twin

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 邪惡分身／邪恶分身 (xié'è fēnshēn)

• Finnish: kaksoisolento (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: jumeau maléfique m
• Italian: gemello malvagio m
• Spanish: gemelo malvado

remarkably similar double

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 翻版 (zh) (fānbǎn)

• Danish: dobbeltgænger c
• Dutch: dubbelganger (nl)
• Finnish: kaksoisolento (fi)
• French: sosie (fr)
• German: Doppelgänger (de) m
• Greek: σωσίας (el) m (sosías)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: sosia (it) m
• Norwegian: dobbeltgjenger m
• Polish: sobowtór (pl)
• Portuguese: sósia (pt) m or f
• Russian: двойни́к (ru) m (dvojník)
• Spanish: sosias m
• Swedish: dubbelgångare (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} taise f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Further reading

• doppelganger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Doppelgänger

Noun

doppelganger m (plural s)

1. (fantasy) doppelganger (ghostly double of a living person)