German

edit

Etymology

edit

Mid-17th century, from Dutch waarschijnlijk (1540), itself a loan translation of French vraisemblable and/or Latin verisimilis (probable). Analysable as wahr (true) +‎ scheinen (to seem) +‎ -lich (-ly), thus “trueseemly, trueseeming”. Cognate to German Low German wohrschynlik.

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): /vaː(ɐ̯)ˈʃaɪ̯nlɪç/
  • (rapid speech) IPA(key): /vaˈʃaɪ̯n(l)ɪç/, /və-/
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

edit

wahrscheinlich (strong nominative masculine singular wahrscheinlicher, comparative wahrscheinlicher, superlative am wahrscheinlichsten)

  1. likely, probable, plausible
    Die wahrscheinliche Ursache des Fehlers wurde heute ermittelt.
    The probable cause of the failure was determined today.

Declension

edit

Adverb

edit

wahrscheinlich

  1. probably, likely
    Wahrscheinlich regnet es heute Nachmittag.
    It will probably rain this afternoon.

Alternative forms

edit
  • (internet slang) wsl

Further reading

edit