The word doppelganger is a loanword from the German Doppelgänger (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔpl̩ɡɛŋɐ]), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns Doppel (double) and Gänger (walker or goer). The singular and plural forms are the same in German, but English writers usually prefer the plural "doppelgangers".