eigener

Eigener is the inflected form of the German adjective eigen, meaning one’s own or belonging to oneself. It is used attributively before a noun and agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case, following the standard German adjective declension. The endings depend on whether a determiner marks the case and whether the strong, mixed, or weak declension is in play.

Common patterns include:

- With a definite article or determiner: der eigene Mann, die eigene Frau, das eigene Kind, die eigenen Leute. Here the adjective takes the weak ending.

- With an indefinite article: ein eigener Mann, eine eigene Frau, ein eigenes Kind. This uses the mixed declension.

- Without a determiner: eigener Mann, eigene Frau, eigenes Kind, eigene Leute. This uses the strong declension.

Examples of usage:

- Er entwickelte seinen eigenen Stil.

- Das ist ihr eigenes Auto.

- Ich suche nach meiner eigenen Meinung.

Etymology and related forms:

Eigen derives from Old High German eigin, with cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch eigen and English own. The form eig en er adapts to the normal German adjective endings, producing eigene, eigener, eigenes, and related forms when combined with different nouns and grammatical cases.

Usage notes:

Eigener conveys possession or personal affiliation and can emphasize autonomy or individuality when paired with possessive determiners (my own, his own, her own). It is generally neutral in tone, but can carry a subtle nuance of emphasis on personal ownership or authenticity compared with neutral possessive constructions. See also eigen, eigenständigkeit, Eigentum.