Märchen

• Mährchen

Diminutive of the noun Mär(e) f with -chen, compare Old High German māri (“news, tale”). Cognate with Luxembourgish Märchen.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːɐ̯çn̩/ (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /ˈmeːɐ̯çn̩/ (overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)

• audio (Austria)

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• Hyphenation: Mär‧chen

Märchen n (strong, genitive Märchens, plural Märchen)

1. fairy tale (folk tale)
2. (informal) fairy tale (unbelievable story)

• Erzählung
• Geschichte
• Legende
• Sage
• Mär(e)

• “Märchen (Erzählung, Geschichte, Lüge)” in Duden online
• “Märchen (Vertiefung, Senke, Krater)” in Duden online
• “Märchen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Märchen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Märchen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

• Mäerchen

Cognate with German Märchen. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛːə̯ɕən]

Märchen n (plural Märercher)

1. fairy tale (folktale)
2. fairy tale (unrealistic story)

• "Mäerchen" in LOD