poltern

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German

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Etymology

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Onomatopoeic, from Middle High German buldern, from Middle Low German bolderen.[1] Compare Polish pultać.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈpɔltɐn/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: pol‧tern

Verb

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poltern (weak, third-person singular present poltert, past tense polterte, past participle gepoltert, auxiliary haben or sein)

  1. to rumble
    • 1910, Frances Külpe, Rote Tage, S. Schottländers Schlesische Verlagsanstalt, page 184:
      Hastige Schritte poltern die Treppe empor.
      Hasty footsteps rumble up the staircase.
    • 1911, Hermann Löns, Der zweckmäßige Meyer, Sponholtz, page 64:
      […] die Straßenbahn polterte wie immer; […]
      the streetcar rumbled as always
    Synonym: rumpeln
  2. (figuratively) to rant (To speak or shout at length in an uncontrollable anger.)

Usage notes

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The auxiliary sein is used if the verb describes a rumbling movement into a direction, otherwise the auxiliary haben is used.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ poltern” in Duden online

Further reading

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  • poltern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • poltern” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • poltern” in Duden online
  • poltern” in OpenThesaurus.de