derb

See also: derb-

German

Alternative forms

  • derbe (chiefly colloquial)

Etymology

From a Low German merger of two unrelated adjectives: (1.) Old Saxon therbi (unleavened), from Proto-Germanic *þerbaz; and (2.) Old Saxon derbi (coarse, warlike). Both regularly collapsed in Middle Low German derve (firm, bold). Older High German had only the former of the two adjectives and lacked the other: Middle High German derp (unleavened), from Old High German derb (unleavened). The modern word is formally High German, but its semantic development has been determined by the Middle Low German one. (The original sense “unleavened” is last met with in the 18th century.)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɛʁp/, [dɛʁp], [dɛɐ̯p]
  • (file)
  • (file)

Adjective

derb (strong nominative masculine singular derber, comparative derber, superlative am derbsten)

  1. rough, coarse, rude
  2. sturdy, tough
  3. (lexicography, literature, sociography) pertaining to a manner of intercourse that is wittingly aggressive, purposefully unrefined – cocky, cheeky, flippant, brazen

Declension

Further reading

  • derb” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • derb” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • derb” in Duden online

Old High German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þerbaz. Cognate with Old English þeorf (English tharf), Middle Dutch derf (Dutch derf), Old Norse þjarfr.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /derb/

Adjective

derb

  1. unleavened

Descendants

  • Middle High German: derp

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *derwos (firm), from Proto-Indo-European *drewh₂- (steady, firm), extension of *dóru (tree). Compare Old English trīewe, English true.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dʲerv/

Adjective

derb (comparative derbu)

  1. sure, certain, fixed, determinate
    • c. 845, St Gall Glosses on Priscian, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1975, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. II, pp. 49–224, Sg. 26a6
      ɔ eperthae cía aiccent ⁊ cisí aimser derb thechtas
      so that it might be said what accent and what certain time it has

Inflection

o/ā-stem
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative derb derb derb
Vocative deirb*
derb**
Accusative derb deirb
Genitive deirb deirbe deirb
Dative derb deirb derb
Plural Masculine Feminine/neuter
Nominative deirb derba
Vocative derbu
derba
Accusative derbu
derba
Genitive derb
Dative derbaib
Notes *modifying a noun whose vocative is different from its nominative

**modifying a noun whose vocative is identical to its nominative
† not when substantivized

Derived terms

Descendants

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
RadicalLenitionNasalization
derb derb
pronounced with /ð(ʲ)-/
nderb
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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