“Staart – my Ottifant is now in the dictionary! Now I can always read how to spell and pronounce it correctly, where it comes from and even what the genitive is. I didn’t even know he had a genitive – he gave me that never show,” says comedian Otto Walkes. And rightly so: the Ottifant he drew and humanized ended up in the dictionary. At least in the online version of the standard work on German spelling.
“The Ottifant has been online in Duden for a day or two,” says the head of the Duden editorial team at Cornelsen-Verlag.
However, it is questionable whether the well-known figure will also be included in the next printed Duden: “That will be decided in a complicated editorial process in the months before the next edition comes out.” However, it is not yet certain when this will be published.
“Ottifant, the.”
Incidentally, the Duden describes the Ottifant in the online text as follows: “Ottifant, der. Character of an elephant with human features created by the German comedian Otto Waalkes. Artificial word formed from the first names Otto and Elefant.”
Waalkes spoke out with an Instagram post and was happy with Duden’s submission. “Staartk – my Ottifant is now in the dictionary!” wrote the 74-year-old East Frisian.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
