Schanze

German edit

Etymology edit

Of uncertain origin. Attested since the 15th century. Several etymologies have been proposed.^[1]

Pfeifer suggests the regional Franconian/Hessian term Schanze (“basket”) (itself of unknown origin) as the origin, arguing that entrenchments resemble baskets from the inside, being dug-out earth pits that have been reinforced from the inside with brushwood. He rejects a derivation from Italian scansi (noun), plural of scanso, claiming that such theories are based on an unverifiable meaning of “defense”/“resistance” of the Italian term.^[2]

See also Dutch schans, Danish skanse, Swedish skans and English sconce.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ˈʃantsə/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -antsə

Noun edit

Schanze f (genitive Schanze, plural Schanzen)

entrenchment, redoubt
Synonym: Schanzanlage

Hypernyms: Verteidigungsanlage, Befestigungsanlage
ramp; jump (an installation, either temporary or permanent, that is driven over quickly (with skis, a bike etc.) so that the driver is propelled into the air)
Synonym: Sprungschanze

Hyponyms: Skischanze, Fahrradschanze

Declension edit

Declension of Schanze [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Schanze	die	Schanzen
genitive	einer	der	Schanze	der	Schanzen
dative	einer	der	Schanze	den	Schanzen
accusative	eine	die	Schanze	die	Schanzen

Derived terms edit

(ramp): Schanzenrekord

Related terms edit

(entrenchment): Befestigungsschanze, Großschanze, Schanztechnik, Schanzwerk, Verschanzung
(ramp): Vierschanzentournee

Descendants edit

→ Polish: szaniec, szańc
- → Romanian: șanț
- → Russian: ша́нец (šánec)
- → Ukrainian: ша́нець (šánecʹ)
→ Serbo-Croatian: шанац

References edit

^ schans, etymologiebank.ivdnt.org
^ Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “Schanze”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN