Württemberg

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Württemberg.

Pronunciation

• enPR: wûr′təm-bûrg′, vür′təm-bĕrk′, IPA^(key): /ˈwɜɹ.təmˌbɜɹɡ/, /ˈvɜɹ.təmˌbɛɹk/

Proper noun

Württemberg

1. A region in southwestern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, roughly corresponding to Swabia

Derived terms

• Württembergian

Further reading

• “Württemberg”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
• “Württemberg”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “württemberg”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “Württemberg”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

German

Etymology

Named after the mountain Württemberg in Stuttgart-Rotenberg, probably of Celtic/Gaulish origin, from *Wirodūnon, composed of *wiros (“man”) and *dūnom (“fortress, hill”). This is also the source of the French city Verdun, Latinized as Medieval Latin Virodūnum in the middle ages.

Some prefer a derivation from the House of Württemberg in Luxembourg, but this could itself be from the Celtic name.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvʏʁtəmbɛʁk/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Württemberg n (proper noun, genitive Württembergs or (optionally with an article) Württemberg)

1. An area in southwestern Germany

References

• Harald Schukraft: Kleine Geschichte des Hauses Württemberg. Tübingen 2006, S. 38.