Klabautermann

Borrowed from German Klabautermann.

Klabautermann

1. a water sprite (or nix) who assists sailors and fishermen on the Baltic Sea in their duties

Borrowed from German Low German [Term?]. Without doubt related, either originally or secondarily, to Dutch kabouter(man). Further etymology unsettled. Several roots seem to have influenced the word phonetically and semantically, it being difficult to determine the oldest form. Assumed influences include:

• Middle Dutch cobbout (“goblin”), cognate of German Kobold.
• Low German klatern, klattern, cognate of German klettern (“to climb”). Compare the attested Low German klâtermænneken n.
• The verbs kalfatern (“to caulk”) and klabastern (“to knock, to rumble”) (compare Low German klabastern).

• IPA^(key): /klaˈbaʊ̯tɐˌman/

• Audio:

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Klabautermann m (strong, genitive Klabautermannes or Klabautermanns, plural Klabautermänner, diminutive Klabautermännchen n)

1. (nautical) Klabautermann (a two-faced goblin believed to be both helpful and inauspicious to a ship's crew)

• “Klabautermann” in Duden online