vandal
English edit
Etymology edit
1660s, “willful destroyer of what is beautiful or venerable”,[1] from Vandal, referring to a member of an ancient Germanic people, the Vandals, who are associated with senseless destruction as a result of their sack of Rome under King Genseric in 455. During the Enlightenment, Rome was idealized, while the Goths and Vandals were blamed for its destruction. The Vandals may not have been any more destructive than other invaders of ancient times, but they did inspire English poet John Dryden to write, Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface (1694).[2] However, the Vandals did intentionally damage statues, which may be why their name is associated with the vandalism of art. The coining of French Vandalisme by Henri Grégoire in 1794 to describe the destruction of artwork following the French Revolution popularized the idea further, and the term was quickly adopted across Europe, including as English vandalism.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
vandal (plural vandals)
- A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people's property.
- Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the side of the building.
- The anonymous vandal was blocked after going on a vandalism spree.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
References edit
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024), “vandal”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ [John] Dryden (1694), “To Sir Godfrey Kneller”, in The Annual Miscellany: for the Year 1694. Being the Fourth Part of Miscellany Poems. Containing Great Variety of New Translations and Original Copies, by the Most Eminent Hands., London: […] R. E. for Jacob Tonson, […], page 90: “Till Goths and Vandals, a rude Northern Race, / Did all the matchless Monuments deface.”
Czech edit
Noun edit
vandal m anim
- vandal (person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages other people's property)
Declension edit
Further reading edit
Manx edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
vandal m (genitive singular vandal, plural vandallyn)
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
vandal m (definite singular vandalen, indefinite plural vandaler, definite plural vandalene)
Derived terms edit
References edit
- “vandal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
vandal m (definite singular vandalen, indefinite plural vandalar, definite plural vandalane)
Derived terms edit
References edit
- “vandal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
vandal m (plural vandali)
Declension edit
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) vandal | vandalul | (niște) vandali | vandalii |
genitive/dative | (unui) vandal | vandalului | (unor) vandali | vandalilor |
vocative | vandalule | vandalilor |
Swedish edit
Noun edit
vandal c
Declension edit
Declension of vandal | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | vandal | vandalen | vandaler | vandalerna |
Genitive | vandals | vandalens | vandalers | vandalernas |