Kilometer German · revision 35155

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=19th century|origins=grc χίλιοι, grc μέτρον}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /kiloˈmeːtɐ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Kilometer''' ''m'' or (dated, formerly in technical usage) n (genitive Kilometers, plural Kilometer)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|kilomètre]] (1790), from [[m|fr|kilo-|t=thousand]], formed from [[grc|χίλιοι|tr=khílioi|t=thousand]], and [[m|fr|mètre]], from [[m|grc|μέτρον|tr=métron|t=measure]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|551)^(Duden GWDS 1999) It came into German in the 19th century together with [[Meter]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|551)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The prefix ''kilo-'' “a thousand times” was fixed in 1790 by the French National Assembly as part of the metric system, and became international;^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|551) German ''Kilometer'' dates from the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|551)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Meter'' became the official German term for the unit of length by law in 1868.^(Duden 7 2020|551) The word could be masculine or neuter (Pfeifer gives both); the neuter, once used in technical writing, is now dated.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1790 – the French National Assembly fixes the prefix ''kilo-'' in the metric system.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 19th century – German borrows ''Kilometer''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|551)

+ * 1868 – ''Meter'' becomes the official name of the unit by law.^(Duden 7 2020|551)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|kilometre]], a thousand [[Meter]] (symbol ''km''): ''Bis zum Bahnhof sind es vier Kilometer.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden Fremdwörterbuch 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Kilometres per hour, short for [[Stundenkilometer]]: ''Hier sind nur 60 Kilometer erlaubt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Stundenkilometer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Meter]]

+ * [[Kilogramm]]

+ * [[Zentimeter]]

+ * [[Millimeter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}