Rhein

See also: rhein

German

Alternative forms

• Rein (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German Rīn, from Old High German Rīn, from Proto-West Germanic *Rīn (“the river Rhine”). The spelling with Rh- after Latin Rhenus, itself possibly a Hellenizing form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁaɪ̯n/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: Rain, rein
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Proper noun

der Rhein m (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Rheins or des Rheines)

1. Rhine (a major river in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands, emptying into the North Sea)

   Meronyms: Alpenrhein, Hochrhein, Oberrhein, Mittelrhein, Niederrhein, Deltarhein

   • 1840, “Der deutsche Rhein”, Nikolaus Becker (lyrics), Robert Schumann (music):

     Sie sollen ihn nicht haben, / Den freien deutschen Rhein, / Bis seine Fluth begraben / Des letzten Mann’s Gebein.

     They shall not have him, / The free German Rhine, / Until his flood has covered / The last man's bones.

Derived terms

• Mittelrhein
• Niederrhein
• Nordrhein
• Oberrhein
• Rhein-Erft-Kreis
• Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis
• Rhein-Kreis Neuss
• Rhein-Lahn-Kreis
• Rhein-Neckar-Kreis
• Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis
• Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
• Rheinbrücke
• Rheingau
• rheinisch
• Rheinland

Related terms

• Rheinmaasländisch (subst.) / rheinmaasländisch (adj.)

Descendants

• → Russian: Рейн (Rejn)
• → Chinese: 萊茵 / 莱茵 (Láiyīn) (transliteration)

Further reading

• Rhein on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de