adjective

mittelalterlich

medieval

So wie die Zeit in Europa vor vielen hundert Jahren war, mit Burgen, Rittern und alten Städten.

Definition & meaning

The adjective mittelalterlich refers to anything related to or originating from the Middle Ages (the historical period in Europe between the 5th and 15th centuries).

Historical sense: Pertaining to the customs, art, architecture, or lifestyle of the Middle Ages (e.g., eine mittelalterliche Burg - a medieval castle).
Figurative sense: Describing something as outdated, backwards, primitive, or unenlightened. It is often used to criticize ideas or practices that seem far removed from modern standards (e.g., mittelalterliche Ansichten - medieval/archaic views).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is an adjective that can be used attributively (e.g., die mittelalterliche Stadt) or predicatively (e.g., Diese Methode ist mittelalterlich).

Word origin: The word is a compound composed of two parts:

Mittel: Middle.
Alter: Age (in the sense of a historical era). The suffix -lich is used to form an adjective from the noun "Mittelalter" (Middle Ages).