See also: kerl

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from German Kerl (freeman of non-aristocratic descent).

Proper noun

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Kerl (plural Kerls)

  1. A surname from German.

Statistics

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  • According to the 2010 United States Census, Kerl is the 35812th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 627 individuals. Kerl is most common among White (82.78%) and Black/African American (10.85%) individuals.

Further reading

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Central Franconian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle Low German kerl, from Old Saxon *keril, from Proto-West Germanic *karil.

Noun

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Kerl m

  1. (Moselle Franconian / Hunsrückisch) fellow, guy, chap, bloke, man
    • 1874, Peter Joseph Rottmann, Gedichte in Hunsrücker Mundart, page 3:
      Wer sall meich dann bei die Spielleit fehre, / Wann eich naunder meine Kerl verleere? / Geh, eich wullt, datt Deich der Deiwel hätt!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

German

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle Low German kerl, from Old Saxon *keril, from Proto-West Germanic *karil.

Cognate with Old High German karal. Akin to Dutch kerel, English churl, Old Norse karl, Danish karl.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kɛʁl/, [kɛʁl], [kɛɐ̯l]
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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Kerl m (strong, genitive Kerls, plural Kerle or Kerls, diminutive Kerlchen n)

  1. fellow, guy, chap, bloke
  2. (obsolete) freeman

Usage notes

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  • The normal plural is Kerle.
  • The plural Kerls is widely restricted to northern Germany. Compare a well-known former Prussian guard regiment called Lange Kerls (“tall fellows”).

Declension

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Derived terms

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See also

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Further reading

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  • Kerl” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Kerl” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • Kerl” in Duden online
  • Kerl” in OpenThesaurus.de
  • Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Kerl”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Hunsrik

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle Low German kerl, from Old Saxon *keril, from Proto-West Germanic *karil.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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Kerl m (plural Kerle)

  1. fellow, guy, chap, bloke, man
    Wer is dart där Kerl?
    Who is that guy?
    • 2020, Aesop, Piter Keo, De Wollef un das Lamm (yt):
      "Faarichsjoher, du Kerl, host-du mich gropp geschennd."
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

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Old Frisian

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Proper noun

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Kerl

  1. Charles