die  Ellipse

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɛˈlɪpsə/

🧐 What does "die Ellipse" mean?

The word die Ellipse has several meanings, primarily in geometry and linguistics:

• Geometry 📐: An Ellipse is a closed, oval curve. It's defined as the set of all points for which the sum of the distances to two fixed points (the Brennpunkte or foci) is constant. It looks like a stretched or squashed circle. Planetary orbits are often Ellipsen.
• Linguistics/Rhetoric 🗣️: Here, die Ellipse refers to the stylistic device of omitting words or parts of sentences that are not essential for understanding or can be inferred from the context. Example: Je früher [du kommst], desto besser [ist es]. (The sooner [you come], the better [it is].)
• Astronomy 🔭: The orbits of planets, comets, and other celestial bodies around a star or another central object are often elliptical (Kepler's laws).

There are no known exceptions or common mistakes regarding the article die for Ellipse. It's always feminine.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar and Declension of die Ellipse

The noun die Ellipse is feminine. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences

1. Geometrie: Der Mathematiker zeichnete eine präzise Ellipse an die Tafel.
   (The mathematician drew a precise ellipse on the blackboard.)
2. Sprache: Der Satz Ende gut, alles gut ist eine bekannte Ellipse.
   (The sentence All's well that ends well is a well-known ellipsis - omitting 'is'.)
3. Astronomie: Die Umlaufbahn der Erde um die Sonne ist eine leichte Ellipse.
   (The Earth's orbit around the sun is a slight ellipse.)

💡 How to use "die Ellipse"?

Usage strongly depends on the context:

• In a mathematical or technical context, die Ellipse clearly refers to the geometric shape. You might talk about the Berechnung einer Ellipse (calculation of an ellipse), den Brennpunkten der Ellipse (the foci of the ellipse), or elliptischen Formen (elliptical shapes).
• In linguistics, rhetoric, or literary analysis, die Ellipse means the omission of sentence parts. It often serves to tighten the text or create a specific style (e.g., telegraphese). One analyzes die Verwendung von Ellipsen (the use of ellipses) in a text.
• In an astronomical context, die Ellipse describes the shape of orbits.

Confusion is rare as the context is usually clear. An Oval is a more general term for an egg-shaped or oblong-round shape and not as precisely defined as the mathematical Ellipse.

🧠 Mnemonics for die Ellipse

1. Article Mnemonic: Die Kurve, die Forme, die Auslassung - many feminine German nouns ending in -e take 'die', just like die Ellipse. Imagine she (die Ellipse) gliding elegantly.

2. Meaning Mnemonic (Geometry/Language): An Ellipse is like a circle that's lacking something (it's not perfectly round) – just like a linguistic Ellipse is lacking something (a word or phrase is omitted). The Greek word élleipsis means lack/omission.

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

Similar Terms

• Parabel (parabola), Hyperbel (hyperbola): Other conic sections besides the Ellipse and Kreis.
• Ellipse (typographic): The three dots (...) are sometimes also called an Ellipse in typography, symbolizing an omission.

😂 A Little Joke

German: Warum war die Ellipse beim Kreis so unbeliebt?
Weil sie immer aus der Reihe tanzte und zwei Mittelpunkte hatte! 😄

English: Why was the ellipse so unpopular with the circle?
Because it always broke ranks (danced out of line) and had two centers! 😄

✍️ Poem about the Ellipse

German:
Die Ellipse, fein geschwungen,
Hat nie einen Kreis bezwungen.
Mit zwei Punkten, klar zu sehen,
Lässt sie Planeten Bahnen gehen.

Im Satz lässt sie mal Wörter fort,
Ein stiller, aber kluger Ort.
Ob Form, ob Stil, sie zeigt es an:
Manchmal fehlt was – nebenan.

English Translation:
The Ellipse, finely curved and swung,
Has never conquered any circle sung.
With two clear points for all to see,
It lets the planets orbit free.

In sentences, it leaves words out,
A quiet, but a clever, bout.
Be it shape or style, it shows somehow:
Sometimes things lack – here and now.

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich bin 'ne Kurve, doch kein Kreis,
Hab' zwei Zentren, wie man weiß.
Planeten folgen meiner Spur,
Und Sätze kürz' ich, glaub es nur!

Was bin ich? ... Die Ellipse

English Translation:
I am a curve, but not a circle bright,
Have two centers, known by sight.
Planets follow in my trace,
And sentences I shorten, with simple grace!

What am I? ... The Ellipse

ℹ️ Other Information

Etymology: The word "Ellipse" comes from the Greek word ἔλλειψις (élleipsis), meaning “deficiency,” “omission,” or “falling short.” This refers both to the geometric shape (which has a “deficiency” compared to the circle, as the foci do not coincide) and to the rhetorical figure (the omission of words).

Conic Sections (Kegelschnitte): The Ellipse is one of the four conic sections, created by intersecting a double cone with a plane. The others are the Kreis (circle), the Parabel (parabola), and the Hyperbel (hyperbola).