klein

English Online Dictionary. What means klein‎? What does klein mean?

Afrikaans

Alternative forms

• klyn (obsolete)

Etymology

From Dutch klein, from Middle Dutch cleine, from Old Dutch cleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kləi̯n/

Adjective

klein (attributive klein, comparative kleiner, superlative kleinste)

1. small, little

   Antonym: groot

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch cleine, from Old Dutch cleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klɛi̯n/
• Hyphenation: klein
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯n

Adjective

klein (comparative kleiner, superlative kleinst)

1. small, little

   Antonym: groot

2. almost

   Een klein uur. ― Almost an hour.

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: klein
• Jersey Dutch: klāin
• Negerhollands: kleen, klen
• Skepi Creole Dutch: klenk

Anagrams

• kniel
• linke

German

Etymology

From Middle High German klein, kleine, from Old High German kleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī (“shining, fine, splendid, tender”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gleh₁y- (“to cleave, stick”).

Cognate with Dutch klein and English clean. Doublet of clean. For a similar semantic development, cf. zierlich (orig. "decorative", today "petite").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klaɪ̯n/
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Adjective

klein (strong nominative masculine singular kleiner, comparative kleiner, superlative am kleinsten)

1. small, little, tiny, wee, small-scale
   • Hänschen klein:

   • L. Uhland, Klein Roland:

   • 1781, J. H. Campe (editor), Kleine Kinderbibliothek, 6th small volume, Hamburg, p. 43 (substantival use):

   • 1882, Neuer deutscher Parnaß. Silberblicke aus der Lyrik unserer Tage, edited by Max Moltke, Leipzig, page 282, poem Am Ufer by Pauline Schanz:

2. little, young (in age)
3. insignificant

Declension

Antonyms

• groß

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “klein” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “klein” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “klein” in Duden online

Limburgish

Alternative forms

• kléïn (Eupen)
• klieen (Krefeld)
• kleen (widespread variant)
  • klee (Southeast Limburgish)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch cleine, from Old Dutch cleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī.

Adjective

klein (comparative kleiner, superlative kleins, predicative superlative 't kleins)

1. small

Inflection

Norwegian

Adjective

klein

1. feeble, awkward

   Synonyms: ynkelig, stakkarslig

Related terms

• kleinhet