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Definition 2024

Karl

Karl

See also: karl and kärl

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name.

Translations

Anagrams

Danish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Norse Karl, from karl ‎(“free man”), originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Danish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /karl/, [kʰɑːˀl]

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name.

Related terms

References

  • Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 42 958 males with the given name Karl (compared to 42 636 named Carl) have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1910s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Estonian

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name, cognate with English Charles.

Usage notes

  • Common first part of conjoined names, such as Karl-Markus or Karl Martin.

Related terms

Faroese

Proper noun

Karl m

  1. A male given name.

Usage notes

  • son of Karl: Karlsson
  • daughter of Karl: Karlsdóttir

Declension

Singular
Indefinite
Nominative Karl
Accusative Karl
Dative Karli
Genitive Karls

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old High German karal, from Proto-Germanic *karlaz ‎(“free man”), *karilaz ‎(“man, elder”). Cognate with French and English Charles.

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name.

Usage notes

  • The most common given name of men born in Germany in late 19th century - early 20th century.
  • A common first part of conjoined names such as Karl-Heinz or Karlheinz.

Related terms

Icelandic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [kʰard̥l] ()

Proper noun

Karl m

  1. A male given name equivalent to English Carl or Charles

Norwegian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Norse Karl, from karl ‎(“free man”), originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Norwegian), from the same Proto-Germanic source.

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name.

Related terms

References

  • Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, ISBN 82-521-4483-7
  • Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 9 245 males with the given name Karl (compared to 3726 named Carl) living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 19th century. Accessed on 19 May, 2011.

Swedish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Norse Karl, from karl ‎(“free man”), originally a nickname. Popularized by the fame of Charlemagne (Karl in Swedish), from the same Proto-Germanic source.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaːl/, /kaːɭ/
  • Homophones: Carl, kal (only if pronunciated /kaːl/)

Proper noun

Karl

  1. A male given name.
    • 1975 Christer Kihlman, Dyre prins, Wahlström & Widstrand, ISBN 9146121315, page 79:
      Sinikka föreslog då Karl efter Marx och Karl Liebknecht. Eller Karl den tolfte, invände jag. Också Karl kändes för banalt, för använt och utslitet, för oambitiöst och komprometterat, trots vissa stora och förpliktande föregångare.

Usage notes

  • Name of nine kings of Sweden since the 12th century. As a given name first became popular in the 19th century.
  • The most common given name of men born in Sweden in the 1920s and the 1930s.

Related terms

References

  • Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, ISBN 91-21-10937-0
  • Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, ISBN 9119551622: 209 909 males with the given name Karl (compared to 125 372 named Carl) living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1910s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

karl

karl

See also: Karl and kärl

Danish

Noun

karl c (singular definite karlen, plural indefinite karle)

  1. farmhand
  2. groom, ostler
  3. bloke, chap, guy

Inflection

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ ‎(karilaz), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [kʰard̥l] (), IPA(key): [kʰad̥l] ()
  • Rhymes: -artl

Noun

karl m ‎(genitive singular karls, nominative plural karlar)

  1. man (male human)
  2. husband
  3. male of a species
  4. (video games) a character (in a video game, or in a RPG)
  5. (chess) a chess piece, a chessman

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

Old Norse

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ ‎(karilaz), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz. Compare Old English ceorl, Old High German karal, karl.

Noun

karl m

  1. A man

Descendants


References

  • karl in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish karilʀ, from Old Norse karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ ‎(karilaz), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɑːr/
  • Homophones: kar

Noun

karl c

  1. man (male human)
  2. husband
  3. (male) member of a work force, employed to perform some particularly heavy or physically demanding job

Usage notes

Has connotations of being manly, and is as such somewhat frowned upon by certain feminists; but it also may have connotations of being able to perform a certain task. Compare the formulaic expression karl för sin ... (with some attribute), which denotes someone who is up to par with his role, and is able to perform at least by some minimal standards on his own. Here the role is usually something associated with the given attribute, though karl för sin hatt is associated with a more generic male role.

Declension

Inflection of karl 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative karl karlen karlar karlarna
Genitive karls karlens karlars karlarnas

See also

  • karl för sin hatt
  • karlakarl

Etymology

From German and Scandinavian Karl. A variant of Charles.

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