i-Dötzchen

See also: I-Dötzchen

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

Partial calque of Central Franconian i-Dötzje (“first-year pupil”), from the letter i, which was traditionally the first letter that school children learnt, and the noun Dotz (“little, often chubby, child”). This word’s original meaning is "knob, bump", it being probably cognate with Dutch dot, English dot. The word i-Dötzje might therefore alternatively be derived from i-Dotz meaning "dot of the i", as has been proposed; but neither is this latter sense in general use, nor does the derivation suggest itself semantically.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈiːˌdœts.çən/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

i-Dötzchen n (strong, genitive i-Dötzchens, plural i-Dötzchen)

  1. (informal, regional, chiefly Rhineland, but spreading Germany-wide) first-year pupil; child who has just started school; abecedarian
    Synonyms: ABC-Schütze, Abc-Schütze, Abcschütze; (especially Central German) Erstklässer; (Austrian) Erstklassler; Erstklässler; (Rhenish) i-Dotz; (regional) i-Männchen; Schulanfänger; (Austrian, colloquial) Taferlklassler

Declension
Declension of i-Dötzchen [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das i-Dötzchen die i-Dötzchen
genitive eines des i-Dötzchens der i-Dötzchen
dative einem dem i-Dötzchen den i-Dötzchen
accusative ein das i-Dötzchen die i-Dötzchen
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