West Germany
English
editEtymology
editFrom informal use describing the British-, French-, and American-occupied zones of Germany following World War II, under influence from existing German Westdeutschland and Westdeutscher used to describe those areas of German-speaking Europe since the 17th and 18th centuries.[1]
Pronunciation
editAudio (Southern England): (file)
Proper noun
edit- (historical, 1949–1990) The Federal Republic of Germany, distinguished from the German Democratic Republic ("East Germany").
- (since 1990) The former areas of the Republic during that time, distinguished from the former East German areas.
- (historical, uncommon, 1945–1949) Collectively, the British-, French-, and American-occupied zones of Germany, distinguished from the Soviet-occupied zone.
Synonyms
editDerived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editformer European country
|
Federal Republic of Germany — see Federal Republic of Germany
References
edit- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "West German, adj. and n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2012.