place name
der Ortsname, die Ortsnamen
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place name
The official name of a city, village, municipality, or other geographical place. Place names are proper names for settlements or fields/areas of land.
Der Ortsname 'München' leitet sich von 'bei den Mönchen' ab.
The place name 'München' is derived from 'bei den Mönchen' (by the monks).
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Ortsnamen |
| genitive | des Ortsnamens |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Ortsname | die Ortsnamen |
| accusative | den Ortsnamen | die Ortsnamen |
| dative | dem Ortsnamen | den Ortsnamen |
| genitive | des Ortsnamens | der Ortsnamen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
This word is a simple compound made from 'Ort' (place) and 'Name' (name), connected with an 's'. So it literally means 'name of a place'.
Viele deutsche Ortsnamen enden auf -burg, -bach oder -dorf.
Many German place names end in -burg, -bach, or -dorf.
Common verbs used in connection with 'Ortsname' (place name) are 'sich ableiten von' (to be derived from), 'erklären' (to explain), and 'erforschen' (to research). It is often about the historical origin of the name.
Ein Historiker erforscht die Herkunft alter Ortsnamen in der Region.
A historian is researching the origin of old place names in the region.
To explain the origin of a place name, the fixed structure 'Der Ortsname ... leitet sich von ... ab' (The place name ... is derived from ...) is often used. This is a very common formulation in historical or geographical texts.
Der Ortsname Berlin leitet sich wahrscheinlich von einem slawischen Wort für Sumpf ab.
The place name Berlin is probably derived from a Slavic word for swamp.
