Single
See also: single
English edit
Etymology edit
From Old English sengel (“brushwood; burnt clearing”), a topographic surname for someone who lived by a brushwood.
Proper noun edit
Single (plural Singles)
- A surname from Old English.
Statistics edit
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Single is the 41886th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 519 individuals. Single is most common among White (88.44%) individuals.
Further reading edit
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Single”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.
German edit
Etymology edit
In all senses from English single. The pronunciation is without /ɡ/ because German allows the cluster /ŋɡ/ only before full vowels, not before /ə/. The feminine gender of the musical sense is probably after Schallplatte f.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Single f (genitive Single, plural Singles)
Declension edit
Declension of Single [feminine]
Noun edit
Single m (strong, genitive Singles or Single, plural Singles or Single)
Usage notes edit
- Not used in German to mean “unmarried”. For that, see ledig, unverheiratet (and nominalisations thereof). Single also generally implies an openness for romantic or sexual relations, so it would not commonly be used of someone living in celibacy, or of a widow(er) in their 80s. The usual word for “living alone without a family” is alleinstehend.
- The normal plural is Singles. Chiefly colloquially it may also be unchanged Single. Note, however, that the dative plural den Singlen, while unproblematic in speech, is awkward in writing (compare the same in the word Bachelor).
Declension edit
Declension of Single [masculine, strong]
Noun edit
Single n (strong, genitive Singles or Single, plural Singles)
Declension edit
Declension of Single [neuter, strong]