Elftal

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch elftal n (“group of eleven”, hence “football team”). Cognate with German elf (“eleven”) and Zahl (“number”) respectively. The latter word probably also triggered the feminine gender in German.

Dutch media commonly call their team het Nederlands elftal, but not usually het elftal on its own. This is similar to German die Mannschaft, which is used as a nickname for the German team in some countries (including the Netherlands).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛlfˌta(ː)l/

Proper noun

die Elftal f (proper noun, usually definite, definite genitive der Elftal)

1. (soccer, chiefly media slang) the Dutch national football (soccer) team
   • 1994 June 20, anonymous author, “Die de Boers setzen eine lange Tradition fort”, in Berliner Zeitung:

     Nach Gerry [sic] und Arnold Mühren, die allerdings nie zusammen in der Nationalmannschaft standen, Willy und René van de Kerkhof, Erwin und Ronald Koeman sowie Richard und Rob Witschge sind die de Boers bereits das fünfte Bruderpaar, das in den vergangenen 20 Jahren für die „Elftal“ die Stiefel schnürte.

     After Gerrie and Arnold Mühren, who never represented the national team at the same time however, Willy and René van de Kerkhof, Erwin and Ronald Koeman, as well as Richard and Rob Witschge, the De Boers [i.e. Ronald and Frank de Boer] are the fifth pair of brothers to tie their boots for the Dutch national team in the past 20 years.