Schrumpfgermane

German

Etymology

Earlier 20th century, from schrumpfen (“to shrink”) +‎ Germane (“Germanic”). Based on on the then-fashionable stereotype of the “tall-built Germanic”, which many contemporaries of course did not correspond to, leading to the humorous notion that they must have shrunk. Later used to ridicule certain Nazi politicians, especially Joseph Goebbels.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈʃrʊm(p)fɡɛrˌmaːnə/, [ˈʃʁʊmp͡f.ɡɛʁˌmaː.nə], [ˈʃʁʊɱf-], [-ɡɛɐ̯-]

Noun

Schrumpfgermane m (weak, genitive Schrumpfgermanen, plural Schrumpfgermanen, feminine Schrumpfgermanin)

(colloquial, humorous, somewhat dated) a German of lesser height

Declension

Declension of Schrumpfgermane [masculine, weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Schrumpfgermane	die	Schrumpfgermanen
genitive	eines	des	Schrumpfgermanen	der	Schrumpfgermanen
dative	einem	dem	Schrumpfgermanen	den	Schrumpfgermanen
accusative	einen	den	Schrumpfgermanen	die	Schrumpfgermanen