English

Noun

Klabautermann

1. a water sprite (or nix) who assists sailors and fishermen on the Baltic Sea in their duties

German

Etymology

From German Low German. Without doubt related, either originally or secondarily, to Dutch kabouter(man). Further etymology unsettled. Several roots seem to have influenced the word phonetically and semantically, it being difficult to determine the oldest form. Assumed influences include:

• Middle Dutch cobbout ‎(“goblin”), cognate of German Kobold.
• Low German klatern, klattern, cognate of German klettern ‎(“to climb”). Compare the attested Low German klatermænneken.
• The verbs kalfatern ‎(“to caulk”) and klabastern ‎(“„to knock, to rumble“”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klaˈbaʊ̯tɐˌman/

Noun

Klabautermann m ‎(genitive Klabautermanns or Klabautermannes, plural Klabautermänner, diminutive Klabautermännchen n)

1. (nautical) Klabautermann (a two-faced goblin believed to be both helpful and inauspicious to a ship′s crew)