Spargel

German

Etymology

From 15th-century Middle High German sparge, spargen, sparges, from Medieval Latin sparagus, asparagus, in part through Italian sparago, sparagio. The form in -el (16th c.) probably after such plant names as Kerbel, Kümmel.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃparɡəl/, [ˈʃpaʁ.ɡl̩], [ˈʃpaɐ̯-], [ˈʃpaː-], [-ɡəl]
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Spargel m or (southern language area) f (strong or mixed, genitive Spargels or Spargel, plural Spargel or Spargeln)

  1. (usually uncountable) asparagus
    • 1847, Elisabetha Emmerich, Die beste Küche […] , 2nd edition, Kempten: Tobias Dannheimer, page 36:
      Die Spargeln werden so weit sie weiß sind sauber abgeschaben, gleich geschnitten, gewaschen, mit siedendem gesalzenem Wasser an das Feuer gebracht, weich gekocht und alsdann folgende Sauce verfertigt: […]
      The asparagus is scraped clean as far as it is white, cut evenly, washed, heated with boiling salted water, cooked until soft and thereupon the following sauce is made: […]
    • 1856, Johann Christoph Gottlob Weise, Der vollkommene Melonen-, Gurken-, Artischocken-, Spargel- u. Champignongärtner, Weimar, page 101:
      Die Erhöhung mit Erde im Frühjahre ist deshalb nothwendig, damit der Spargel tief zu liegen komme; denn liegt er nicht tief genug, so muß man die Sprossen immer etwas über die Erde heraustreiben lassen, […]
      The incrementing with soil is necessary to make the asparagus lie deep; because if he doesn’t lie deep enough, you always have to let the sprouts grow out of the earth a bit, […]

Usage notes
  • The word is exclusively masculine in northern and central Germany. It may alternatively be feminine in southern regions. In writing this is now chiefly restricted to Switzerland.

Declension
Declension of Spargel [masculine // feminine (southern language area), strong // mixed]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein, eine der, die Spargel die Spargel, Spargeln
genitive eines, einer des, der Spargels, Spargel der Spargel, Spargeln
dative einem, einer dem, der Spargel den Spargeln
accusative einen, eine den, die Spargel die Spargel, Spargeln

Derived terms

Further reading

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From 15th-century Middle High German sparge, spargen, sparges, from Medieval Latin sparagus, asparagus. See German Spargel for more.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃpaʁʑəl/

Noun

Spargel f (plural Spargelen)

  1. asparagus
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