Gelenkig

Gelenkig is a German adjective used to describe someone or something that has unusually flexible joints or a high degree of physical suppleness. It is most often applied to people, such as athletes or performers, who can move through a wide range of motion or perform contortions with ease. The term can also be used more loosely to indicate general agility or nimbleness in movement.

Etymology and related terms: Gelenkig is formed from the noun Gelenk (joint) with the adjective suffix -ig, yielding the sense “having joints” or “jointed.” The related noun Gelenkigkeit is used to refer to suppleness or ease of movement of joints. In everyday language, synonyms include beweglich and flexibel, while biegsam is common in casual speech. Antonyms include unbeweglich and starr, which describe inflexibility.

usage notes: Gelenkigkeit is most appropriate when describing physical ability in a concrete, observable way, such as in sports, dance, or acrobatics. While metaphorical use exists, it is less common than direct terms like flexibel or anpassungsfähig when describing adaptability in non-physical contexts.

Examples:

- Der Akrobat ist gelenkig und beherrscht komplizierte Dehnungen.

- Die Tänzerin zeigte eine erstaunliche gelenkige Beweglichkeit.

- Mit regelmäßigem Training bleibt die Gelenkigkeit erhalten.

Gelenkig remains a precise descriptor for physical flexibility, with its strength lying in concreteness and vivid imagery, and it contrasts with broader terms like beweglich or flexibel that emphasize overall mobility or adaptability.

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