Kindlein

Kindlein

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

    Kind +‎ -lein

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈkɪntlaɪ̯n/
    • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
    • Hyphenation: Kind‧lein

    Noun

    Kindlein n (strong, genitive Kindleins, plural Kinderlein or Kindlein)

    1. diminutive of Kind
      • (Can we date this quote?), “Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf”, traditional (lyrics), Johann Friedrich Reichardt (music):
        Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf, / Der Vater hüt die Schaaf, / Die Mutter schüttelts Bäumelein, / Da fällt herab ein Träumelein, / Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf.
        Sleep my child, sleep / Your father tends the sheep, / Your mother shakes the apple tree, / As falls down a dream for thee / Sleep my child, sleep

    Usage notes

    • The plural Kinderlein is more common than unchanged Kindlein. (This is an exceptional case: other plurals with infixed -er-, such as Lämmerchen, are less common than the respective unchanged form.)

    Declension

    Declension of Kindlein [neuter, strong]
    singular plural
    indef. def. noun def. noun
    nominative ein das Kindlein die Kinderlein, Kindlein
    genitive eines des Kindleins der Kinderlein, Kindlein
    dative einem dem Kindlein den Kinderlein, Kindlein
    accusative ein das Kindlein die Kinderlein, Kindlein

    Further reading

    • “Kindlein” in Duden online
    • “Kindlein”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[1] (in German)
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