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Why does

die Berliner Mauer

use the adjective with ending -er? Why isn't it

die Berline Mauer

This should be right, but it is not. Why?

Björn Friedrich
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Oleg
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    Why do you think that the latter would be right? All possible declensions of the adjective berliner are berliner, never berline. See https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Berliner#Adjektiv. – Björn Friedrich Jun 05 '19 at 09:21
  • Well, there's some gap in my knowledge. I use the analogy with other adjectives. I don't see the difference between die gute Frau and die berline Mauer. Mauer and Frau are feminine. They control the ending of the adjective... or they don't? And adjectives like berliner have their own declensions? – Oleg Jun 05 '19 at 09:31
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    die gute Frau, der gute Mann, das gute Kind – Björn Friedrich Jun 05 '19 at 09:33
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    @Oleg "gut" vs. "berliner" is not a good comparison since "gut" is a standalone adjective, but "berliner" is one derived from a noun (Berlin). Location-noun-to-adjective derivations especially can be very tricky, as there are various patterns (berliner, berline, berlinerische, berlinische, berlinesische...) and you basically have to know which one applies by heart (there are some rules of thumb though). – Annatar Jun 05 '19 at 11:20
  • Proper nouns do not decline the same as adjectives, even when used in the same fashion. Die Chinesische Mauer, das Schweizer Taschenmesser, das Bermuda-Dreieck. – Janka Jun 05 '19 at 13:54

1 Answers1

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All declension forms of the adjective berliner are berliner. None form is berline. That's why it is

die Berliner Mauer

Björn Friedrich
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