Kameradin

Kameradin is the feminine form of the German noun Kamerad, meaning a fellow member or companion. In political and military language, it has been used to address or refer to a female comrade, with the corresponding plural Kameradinnen for groups of women. The term sits alongside the masculine Kamerad and the formally distinct Genosse/Genossin pair in German.

Linguistically, Kamerad derives from earlier military and social vocabulary and, like Kamerad, has been widely used in socialist and communist contexts. In formal party discourse, some groups preferred Genosse/Genossin as the official terms, while Kamerad/Kameradin appeared in more informal or older-era usage. The combination Kameredinnen und Kameraden has been used to address mixed groups in a gender-inclusive but traditional form.

Historically, Kameradin was common in German-speaking socialist movements from the 19th century through the mid-20th century. It appeared in party literature, labor press, and everyday rhetoric among female militants and supporters. In East and West German contexts, both Kameradin and Genossin were encountered, though the latter often carried a more formal or programmatic connotation in official texts.

Modern usage is more limited. In contemporary German, Genossin and gender-neutral forms are typically preferred in official language, academic writing, and media. Kameradin can still be found in historical documents, in discussions of past movements, or in certain regional or nostalgic contexts. The term remains a historical artifact of gendered language within left-wing political discourse.

See also: Kamerad, Genosse, Genossin.