Rhinozeros

German

Alternative forms

  • Rhinoceros (superseded spelling)
  • Rhinozer, Rhinocer (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German rinōceros, from Latin rhīnocerōs, from Ancient Greek ῥῑνόκερως (rhīnókerōs, literally “nose-horned”). The inflected forms in -rosses, -rösser are by association with unrelated Ross (“horse”); the same might also apply to the neuter gender.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁiˈnoːtsəʁɔs/
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)

Noun

Rhinozeros n (strong, genitive Rhinozeros or (rare) Rhinozerosses, plural Rhinozerosse or (rare) Rhinozerösser) (dated higher register, now rare and chiefly literary)

  1. synonym of Nashorn (“rhinoceros”)

Usage notes

  • This word was predominant over the loan translation Nashorn until ca. 1870.[1] Nowadays it is generally used only for stylistic effect, typically for variation when Nashorn has already occurred in the context.

Declension

Declension of Rhinozeros [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Rhinozeros die Rhinozerosse, Rhinozerösser1
genitive eines des Rhinozeros, Rhinozerosses1 der Rhinozerosse, Rhinozerösser1
dative einem dem Rhinozeros, Rhinozerosse1,2 den Rhinozerossen, Rhinozerössern1
accusative ein das Rhinozeros die Rhinozerosse, Rhinozerösser1

1Rare.
2Now rare, see notes.

References

  1. ^ Nashörner vs. Rhino(c/z)erosse on Google Ngram Viewer.

Further reading

  • “Rhinozeros” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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