411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Mittelstand
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
German
Etymology
From de mittel- middle, central Stand stand(ing), position, estate; perfectly parallel to cognate nl middenstand.
Pronunciation
de /ˈmɪtl̩ˌʃtant/
de De-Mittelstand.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
Noun
m,(e)s,^e
de literally the middle class, wealthy (bourgeois) section of the third estate
de Bourgeoisie Mittelklasse
the independent professionals, private initiative, notably tradesmen, entrepreneurs etc.
Declension
m,(e)s,^e
Derived terms
de mittelständisch (adjective)
de Mittelständler m
Related terms
de Arbeiterstand
de Mittelstadt
See also
de Adel
de Geistlichkeit, de Klerus
de Bürgerschaft
Further reading