Maulwurf

German

Etymology

A compound of words meaning "mound" and "thrower" (compare werfen), later remodelled due to confusion with Maul (“mouth”). More at mouldwarp.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmaʊ̯lˌvʊʁf/
(file)
(Austria)
(file)
Hyphenation: Maul‧wurf

Noun

Maulwurf m (strong, genitive Maulwurfes or Maulwurfs, plural Maulwürfe, feminine Maulwürfin)

mole (small, burrowing insectivore of the family Talpidae)
(figurative) mole (internal spy)
Synonyms: U-Boot, Spitzel

Declension

Declension of Maulwurf [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Maulwurf	die	Maulwürfe
genitive	eines	des	Maulwurfes, Maulwurfs	der	Maulwürfe
dative	einem	dem	Maulwurf, Maulwurfe¹	den	Maulwürfen
accusative	einen	den	Maulwurf	die	Maulwürfe

¹Now rare, see notes.

Related terms

Maulwurfhügel, Maulwurfsgrille
Schattenwurf, Weitwurf

Further reading

“Maulwurf” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
“Maulwurf” in Duden online
“Maulwurf” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

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