der  Korpus

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/kɔʁˈpʊs/

📖 What does 'der Korpus' mean?

The word der Korpus (from Latin corpus = body) has several meanings in German:

• Anatomy/Medicine: The human or animal body, often specifically the torso (as opposed to the head and limbs).
• Linguistics/Research: A collection of texts or spoken language used as a basis for linguistic analysis (Textkorpus, Sprachkorpus). This is often called a 'corpus' in English too.
• Furniture Making/Technology: The main body or casing of a piece of furniture (e.g., a cabinet without doors and shelves), a musical instrument (e.g., the resonant body of a guitar), or a technical device. This is sometimes called the 'carcass' in furniture making.

Although it comes from Latin where it is neuter (corpus), in German it is masculine: der Korpus. ⚠️ Don't confuse it with the plural, which is often Korpora (especially in linguistics).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'der Korpus' in Detail

The noun 'der Korpus' is masculine. Its declension can vary slightly depending on the meaning and context, especially in the plural.

Declension Singular

🚨 The genitive singular usually ends in -s (des Korpus). The form without -s (des Korpus') is sometimes used, but it's less common and more colloquial.

Declension Plural

The plural is a bit tricky:

• Korpora: Used mainly for text or language collections (linguistic meaning). This plural form is also used in English for this meaning.
• Korpusse: More commonly used for the other meanings (bodies, furniture frames), but also possible for text collections.

Example Sentences

1. Der Arzt untersuchte den gesamten Korpus des Patienten. (The doctor examined the patient's entire body.)
2. Für die linguistische Studie wurde ein großer Korpus deutscher Zeitungsartikel erstellt. (A large corpus of German newspaper articles was created for the linguistic study.)
3. Der Schreiner fertigte zuerst den Korpus des Schranks an. (The carpenter first built the body/carcass of the cabinet.)
4. Die digitalen Korpora ermöglichen detaillierte Sprachanalysen. (The digital corpora allow for detailed language analyses.)
5. Die verschiedenen Schrank-Korpusse wurden im Lager gestapelt. (The different cabinet bodies/carcasses were stacked in the warehouse.)

🗣️ How to use 'der Korpus'?

The usage of 'der Korpus' depends heavily on the context:

• In a medical or anatomical context, it refers to the body or torso. It sounds rather technical (alternatives: der Körper, der Leib, der Rumpf).
• In linguistics, 'der Korpus' (plural: die Korpora) is a key technical term for a collection of language data.
• In crafts and design (furniture, instruments), it denotes the basic body or casing before specific parts like doors, strings, etc., are attached.

One should be careful to choose the correct plural: 'Korpora' for text collections, 'Korpusse' more for physical objects, although the boundaries can sometimes blur.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Korpus'

Article Mnemonic: Think of DER Körper (the body). Although the Latin corpus is neuter, the common German word der Körper is masculine, and 'Korpus' is often a synonym. Link 'Korpus' to the masculine DER Körper.

Meaning Mnemonic: A Korpus is always a 'main part' or a 'collection': DER main part of the body (torso), DER main part of the cabinet, or A collection (imagine DER Haufen - the heap) of texts.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar but different words:

• Das Korps: A military unit or a group of people (e.g., diplomatisches Korps - diplomatic corps). Different article (das) and different meaning!

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Linguistik-Professor seine Studenten: "Was ist der Plural von Korpus?"
Ein Student meldet sich: "Leichen?"

(Translation: The linguistics professor asks his students: "What is the plural of Korpus?"
A student raises his hand: "Corpses?")
(Play on words: Korpus sounds like Latin 'corpus' = body)

📜 A Poem about Corpora

Der Linguist, gar wohl gelehrt,
hat Korpora stets hoch verehrt.
Millionen Worte, Satz an Satz,
für Analysen, welch ein Schatz!
Ob digital, ob auf Papier,
der Sprachgebrauch zeigt sich uns hier.
So wächst das Wissen, Wort für Wort,
dank dem Korpus, diesem Hort.

(Translation: The linguist, quite learned indeed, / Has always held corpora in high esteem. / Millions of words, sentence by sentence, / For analyses, what a treasure! / Whether digital or on paper, / Language use reveals itself to us here. / Thus knowledge grows, word by word, / Thanks to the corpus, this hoard/refuge.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin ein Körper, doch oft ohne Glieder.
Ich bin 'ne Sammlung, immer wieder.
Mal steh' ich nackt als Schrank im Raum,
mal bin ich Daten, wie ein Traum.

Was bin ich?

(Translation: I am a body, but often without limbs. / I am a collection, again and again. / Sometimes I stand naked as a cabinet in the room, / Sometimes I am data, like a dream.

What am I?)
(Answer: Der Korpus)

💡 Other Information

Etymology: The word comes directly from the Latin corpus, meaning 'body'. It entered German via scientific and technical language.

Corpus Delicti: A well-known Latin phrase often used in a legal context, meaning 'the body (evidence) of the crime' or 'exhibit'. This phrase retains its Latin form.