Kanaille

German

Alternative forms

• Canaille

Etymology

Borrowed from French canaille.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈnaljə/

  • Audio:

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /kaˈnaɪ̯ə/ (Austria)

Noun

Kanaille f (genitive Kanaille, plural Kanaillen)

1. (formerly derogatory, now dated and usually humorous) scoundrel, rascal, (also) someone extravagant, eccentric

   Na, du alte Kanaille! ― Well, well, you rascal

   Der Typ ist echt so’ne Kanaille... ― That guy is positively eccentric...

2. (archaic, collective) mob, vermin, canaille
   • 1909 [1901], Thomas Mann, Buddenbrooks […] ‎^[1], Berlin: Deutsche Buch-Gemeinschaft, →OCLC, page 182:

     Aber er strafte sich selber Lügen, indem er plötzlich hervorzischte: »Parbleu, Jean! man müßte diesen infamen Schmierfinken den Respekt mit Pulver und Blei in den Leib knallen … Das Pack …! Die Canaille …!«

     But he gave the lie to himself by suddenly hissing out: "Parbleu, Jean! one would have to pound respect with powder and lead in these infamous greases ... The pack ...! The canaille ...!"

Declension

Declension of Kanaille [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Kanaille	die	Kanaillen
genitive	einer	der	Kanaille	der	Kanaillen
dative	einer	der	Kanaille	den	Kanaillen
accusative	eine	die	Kanaille	die	Kanaillen

Derived terms

• Journaille

Further reading

• “Kanaille” in Duden online
• Canaille, Kanaille at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.