411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Nachtwächterstaat
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
German
de:
Etymology
de Nachtwächter Staat night watchman state; coined by German socialist Ferdinand Lassalle in an 1862 speech in Berlin. He used this term to criticize the idea of a state with minimal government, comparing it to a night watchman whose sole duty was preventing theft.
Pronunciation
de [ˈnaxtvɛçtɐˌʃtaːt]
de De-Nachtwächterstaat.ogg <<Germany>> (<<Berlin>>)
de Nacht wäch ter staat
Noun
m,(e)s,en
night watchman state
Declension
m,(e)s,en
Related terms
de Krisenstaat
de Minarchismus
de Mitgliedsstaat
de Staatenbund
Descendants
en night watchman state 1
Further reading