Schwalbe

See also: schwalbe

English

Proper noun

Schwalbe

  1. (aviation, military) The World War II Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German swalwe, from Old High German swalwa, from Proto-West Germanic *swalwā. Cognate with Middle Dutch swaluwe (modern Dutch zwaluw), Old Saxon swala, Old English swealwe (modern English swallow), Old Norse svala (Danish svale, Swedish svala).

The football sense from a saying „Der fliegt wie ’ne Schwalbe!“ (“The man flies like a swallow!”), or the like, punning on fliegen in the sense of “to fall”. Compare hinfliegen (“to fall down”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃvalbə/, [ˈʃʋälbə]
  • audio(file)
  • audio(file)

Noun

Schwalbe f (genitive Schwalbe, plural Schwalben)

  1. swallow, martin (small, migratory bird of the Hirundinidae family)
  2. (sports, soccer) dive (deliberate fall, simulated foul)
  3. (aviation, military) Schwalbe (WWII Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter)

Declension
Declension of Schwalbe [feminine]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Schwalbe die Schwalben
genitive einer der Schwalbe der Schwalben
dative einer der Schwalbe den Schwalben
accusative eine die Schwalbe die Schwalben

Hyponyms

Derived terms
  • schwalbenartig

Descendants
  • → Dutch: schwalbe
  • → Silesian: šwalbkowate (compounded with native word)

Further reading
  • “Schwalbe” in Duden online
  • “Schwalbe” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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