Gemeinsinn

German

Etymology

17th century, from gemein +‎ Sinn, a calque of Latin sensus communis. The Latin means “common sense”, but does allow the reinterpretation insofar as communis means both “common” and “communal”. The meaning appeared in German since the 18th century and had displaced the original one by the mid-19th.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡəˈmaɪ̯nˌzɪn/

Noun

Gemeinsinn m (strong, genitive Gemeinsinns or Gemeinsinnes, plural (rare) Gemeinsinne)

  1. public spirit (sense of responsibility for society and its betterment)
  2. (obsolete) common sense
    Synonyms: gesunder Menschenverstand, Common Sense

Declension

Declension of Gemeinsinn [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Gemeinsinn die Gemeinsinne
genitive eines des Gemeinsinns, Gemeinsinnes der Gemeinsinne
dative einem dem Gemeinsinn, Gemeinsinne1 den Gemeinsinnen
accusative einen den Gemeinsinn die Gemeinsinne

1Now rare, see notes.

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