die  Aberkennung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈapkɛnʊŋ/

📜 What does "die Aberkennung" mean?

Die Aberkennung is a feminine noun meaning the official act of revocation, denial, deprivation, or withdrawal of something. This typically refers to rights (Rechte), titles (Titel), honours (Würden), citizenship (Staatsbürgerschaft), academic degrees (akademische Grade), or sometimes sporting titles (sportliche Titel).

It signifies a formal process, usually carried out by an authority (Behörde), a court (Gericht), or another authorized institution (autorisierte Institution).

• Core meaning: Revocation, annulment, withdrawal, denial of recognition.
• Context: Primarily used in legal (juristisch), administrative (administrativ), and sometimes sporting (sportlich) contexts.

🚨 Like many German nouns ending in "-ung", it's feminine (die Aberkennung).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar in Detail: Die Aberkennung

The noun "Aberkennung" is feminine.

Declension (Singular):

Plural: The plural form "die Aberkennungen" is relatively rare but used when referring to multiple specific acts of revocation.

💡 Example Sentences

• Die Aberkennung der Staatsbürgerschaft ist ein schwerwiegender Akt.
  (The revocation of citizenship is a serious act.)
• Nach dem Dopingfall drohte dem Athleten die Aberkennung seiner Medaillen.
  (After the doping case, the athlete faced the revocation of his medals.)
• Das Gericht bestätigte die Aberkennung des Doktortitels wegen Plagiats.
  (The court confirmed the revocation of the doctorate due to plagiarism.)
• Es gab mehrere Aberkennungen von Rechten während dieser historischen Periode.
  (There were several deprivations of rights during this historical period.)

🗣️ How is "Aberkennung" used?

"Aberkennung" is almost exclusively used in formal contexts, especially regarding official decisions.

• Typical Use Cases:
  • Aberkennung von Rechten (e.g., Wahlrecht - right to vote, Führerschein - driver's license)
  • Aberkennung von Titeln (e.g., Adelstitel - title of nobility, akademischer Grad - academic degree, sportlicher Titel - sporting title)
  • Aberkennung der Staatsbürgerschaft (revocation of citizenship)
  • Aberkennung der Gemeinnützigkeit (revocation of non-profit status for associations)
• Context: Legal, administrative, political, sometimes in sports or academia.
• Comparison with similar words:
  • Entzug: Often synonymous, especially for rights (e.g., Führerscheinentzug - driver's license withdrawal). However, Entzug can also be less formal or refer to physical things (e.g., Drogenentzug - drug withdrawal). Aberkennung emphasizes the act of non-recognition or annulling a status.
  • Widerruf: Refers more to retracting a previous decision or permission (e.g., Widerruf eines Angebots - revocation of an offer).
  • Annullierung: Means declaring something void from the beginning.

The common structure is "Aberkennung von etwas (Genitive)" (revocation of something).

🧠 Mnemonics for Aberkennung

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words (Caution!)

• Erkennung: (Detection, recognition) Identifying or perceiving something (e.g., Gesichtserkennung - face recognition). Unrelated to revocation.
• Anerkennung (see Antonyms): The opposite!

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Bekennen Sie sich schuldig?"
Sagt der Angeklagte: "Bevor ich antworte, möchte ich wissen: Gibt es dafür eine Aberkennung von Punkten in Flensburg?"

Translation:
The judge asks the defendant: "Do you plead guilty?"
The defendant says: "Before I answer, I'd like to know: Is there a revocation of points [on my driving record] in Flensburg for that?"

📜 Poem about Aberkennung

Ein Titel stolz getragen,
Ein Recht, an das man glaubt.
Doch kommt der Tag, muss man's beklagen,
Die Aberkennung hat's geraubt.

Ein Stempel, eine Schrift,
Ein Urteil, kühl und klar.
Was gestern noch dein Eigen trifft,
Ist heute nicht mehr wahr.

So formell und ohne Gnade,
Wird Status annulliert.
Ein Wort nur auf dem Pfade:
Man hat es dir aberkannt, fixiert.

Translation:
A title proudly worn,
A right in which one believes.
But the day comes, one must mourn,
The revocation has robbed it.

A stamp, a document,
A judgment, cool and clear.
What yesterday was your own element,
Is today no longer true here.

So formal and without grace,
Status is annulled.
Just one word in this place:
It's been revoked from you, controlled.

🧩 Riddle

Ich bin ein Akt, meist streng und offiziell,
Ich nehme weg, was dir zustand, ganz schnell.
Ob Titel, Recht, ob Staatszugehörigkeit,
Durch mich verlierst du deine Gültigkeit.

Was bin ich? (Lösung/Solution: Die Aberkennung)

Translation:
I am an act, usually strict and official,
I take away what was yours, very quick shall.
Whether title, right, or citizenship's state,
Through me, you lose your validity, it's fate.

What am I?
(Answer: Revocation / Die Aberkennung)

🧐 Further Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word "Aberkennung" is composed of:

• ab-: Prefix indicating separation, removal, or negation (as in absagen - to cancel, abnehmen - to decrease/remove).
• erkennung: Noun derived from erkennen (to recognize, in the sense of acknowledge, judge).
• -ung: Suffix used to form feminine nouns from verbs, often denoting a process or its result.

So, the combination literally expresses the 'act of recognizing away' or 'act of no longer recognizing'.

Historical Context: The term has played a significant role in political systems, for instance, in the revocation (Aberkennung) of civil rights or citizenship under authoritarian regimes.