Schnauze

Alternative forms

• Schnauße (obsolete)

Etymology

16th century, from Middle Low German snûte, whence also the later doublet Schnute (“pouting mouth”). Further from Old Saxon *snūt, from Proto-West Germanic *snūt (“snout”). Cognate with Dutch snuit, whence probably English snout.

The forms Schnauße and somewhat later Schnauze are artificial adaptations to High German consonantism, probably under the influence of schnäuzen (“to blow one’s nose”), from Proto-West Germanic *snūtijan. An original High German cognate, albeit with a different stem formation, is at hand in Central Franconian Schnüss, Hunsrik Schniss, Luxembourgish Schnëss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃnaʊ̯tsə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Schnauze f (genitive Schnauze, plural Schnauzen, diminutive Schnäuzchen n)

1. snout; muzzle

Interjection

Schnauze!

1. shut up!

Further reading

• “Schnauze” in Duden online
• “Schnauze” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache