German

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Etymology

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From haupt- (chief, head) +‎ Frau (woman).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈhaʊ̯ptˌfʁaʊ̯]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Haupt‧frau

Noun

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Hauptfrau f (genitive Hauptfrau, plural Hauptfrauen)

  1. (polygamy) the favorite wife of a man living in a polygynous marriage
  2. (military) female equivalent of Hauptmann (non-official term)

Declension

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Further reading

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  • Hauptfrau” in Duden online
  • Hauptfrau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache