Etymology
From Middle High German leger, from Old High German legar, from Proto-West Germanic *legr.
Cognate with Dutch leger, Middle Low German lēger, English lair, Danish lejr, Norwegian Bokmål leir, Swedish läger (“place to sleep”) and lager (“storage, stock”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌲𐍂𐍃 (ligrs).
The modern form with -a- is of East Central German origin, apparently due to influence by the related word Lage. The original form with a front vowel has been preserved as an alternative—albeit fairly rare—plural.
Noun
Lager n (strong, genitive Lagers, plural Lager or Läger)
- a place where one sleeps, such as a bed or a spot in a barn, etc.
- a lair of an animal (but not usually underground, for which Bau)
- a camp (accommodation of tents or quickly built houses)
1783, Gen. Henry Humphrey Evans Lloyd, translated by Maj. Georg Friedrich Ludwig Tempelhof, Geſchichte des ſiebenjährigen Krieges in Deutſchland zwiſchen dem Könige von Preußen und der Kaiſerin Königin mit ihren Alliirten [History of the Seven Years’ War in Germany between the King of Prussia and the Empress-Queen and her allies], Erſter Theil, welcher die Feldzüge von 1756 und 1757 enthält. [First part, which contains the campaigns of 1756 and 1757.], Berlin: Johann Friedrich Unger, Ⅻ. Anmerkung. Schlacht bei Jägerndorf. [XIIth Annotation. Battle of Jägerndorf.], page 339:Gleich nach ſeiner Ankunft in dieſem Lager rekognoſzirte der Feldmarſchall Lehwald den Feind mit einer kleinen Bedekkung, konnte aber von dem Lager der großen Armee nichts entdekken, nur etliche Koſaken Läger wurde er gewahr.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- (obsolete) an army, especially but not exclusively when encamped
- (figurative) a camp, party (group of people sharing some interest or opinion)
- a stock; storage; warehouse; depot; repository (building or room used for keeping goods)
- auf Lager ― in stock
- (geology, mining) a measure (of some resource)
- (mechanics) a bearing
- Short for Lagerbier: lager (beer of low fermentation)
Declension
More information singular, plural ...
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Declension of Lager [neuter, strong]
- See also the compounds at lagern.