Erlkönig

Meaning

1. (European, masculine, strong) erlking
2. (masculine, slang, strong) car prototype

Concepts

erlking

experimental car

Der Erlkönig

Synonyms

Prototyp

Testmodell

Versuchsmodell

Vorab-Exemplar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɛʁlˌkøːnɪç/

Etymology

Calque of Danish ellerkonge (“king of the elves”), in which eller- was misinterpreted as German Low German Eller (“alder”), and which was thus translated into standard German as Erlkönig (Erle + König). This form was spread by Goethe’s famous poem, Erlkönig (1782). German Low German Eller is from Middle Low German elre, from Old Saxon elis.