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Glite Dictionary
alpenhorn

alpenhorn

1 9.9
A long wooden horn played by mountain herders to send sound across valleys
  • noun
  • /ˈæl.pən.hɔrn/
translation icon : alp-horn
  • She played the alpenhorn beautifully.

Examples

  • As the sun set over the Alps, the distant notes of an alpenhorn could be heard calling the herders home.

  • The musician played the alpenhorn at the festival, filling the valley with its deep sound.

  • Tourists gathered to watch a demonstration of the traditional alpenhorn in the Swiss Alps.

  • The echo of the alpenhorn could be heard from miles away in the mountains.

  • The alpenhorn echoed across the valley.

  • The sound of the alpenhorn echoed across the mountains, signaling the arrival of spring.

  • During the festival, an alpenhorn player demonstrated traditional Alpine music to the crowd.

Surface Forms

alpenhorn singular
alpenhorns plural

Morphology

alpenhorn = Alps + horn (semi-transparent) = alpen + horn

The meaning 'a horn associated with the Alps' is literal and recoverable if the learner recognises 'Alps' and 'horn', but the borrowed form 'alpen-' is foreign-looking and may reduce immediate recognisability for some learners.

Etymology

Alpenhorn comes from the German parts Alpen ('Alps') and Horn ('horn'). So it really means a 'horn of the Alps' and was used by mountain herders to call across valleys, which is why its long wooden shape and deep sound carry so far.