Tollpatsch
German
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFirst attested 1698 in Bavaria as Tolbatz, from Hungarian talpas (“wide-footed; infantryman”), so called because of their footwear consisting of soles attached by strings. Influenced by toll (“crazy”), patschen (“to whoosh, to hit with a splashing sound”), and dalpen, talpen (“to walk clumsily; to grab clumsily”), also Dalpe, Talpe, Dalpsche, Talpsche, Patsche, designations for a broad hand.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editTollpatsch m (strong, genitive Tollpatsches or Tollpatschs, plural Tollpatsche)
- (obsolete, derogatory) a Hungarian or Hungarian-origin soldier that does not converse well
- klutz, blunderer, butterfingers (clumsy person)
Usage notes
edit- The spelling Tollpatsch has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform). In the affected areas, the previous spelling (Tolpatsch) is now less common, and may be regarded as a misspelling.
Declension
editDeclension of Tollpatsch [masculine, strong]
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | Tollpatsch | die | Tollpatsche |
genitive | eines | des | Tollpatsches, Tollpatschs | der | Tollpatsche |
dative | einem | dem | Tollpatsch, Tollpatsche1 | den | Tollpatschen |
accusative | einen | den | Tollpatsch | die | Tollpatsche |
1Now rare, see notes.
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- “Tollpatsch” in Duden online
- “Tollpatsch” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Tollpatsch” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
Categories:
- German terms borrowed from Hungarian
- German terms derived from Hungarian
- German 2-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German nouns
- German masculine nouns
- German terms with obsolete senses
- German derogatory terms
- German words affected by 1996 spelling reform
- German ethnic slurs