ribald

WOTD – 9 August 2009    

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French ribaud, ribauld (“rogue, scoundrel”) ( > French ribaud), from riber (“to be licentious”), from Frankish *rīben (“to copulate, be in heat”, literally “to rub”), from Proto-Germanic *wrībanan (“to turn, twist”), from Proto-Indo-European *werp-, *werb- (“to turn, twist”) + Old French -auld, from Old Frankish *-wald. Cognate with Old High German rīban (“to rub”), Dutch wrijven (“to rub”). Compare also Old High German hrība (“prostitute”). More at wrap.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɹɪb.əld/
• (US) IPA: /ˈɹɪb.əld/, /ˈɹaɪ.bɔld/

Adjective

ribald (comparative more ribald, superlative most ribald)

1. Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing.
   • 1693, Thomas Urquhart and Peter Anthony Motteux (Trans.), François Rabelais' Gargantua an Pantagruel, The Third Book, Chapter XXVII:

     [L]et no zealous Christian trust the rogue,--the filthy ribald rascal is a liar.

   • 1875, May 15, Anonymous, "Mr. Carl Schurz and the Democratic Party", Harper's Weekly:

     But when he died the "Reform Democracy" instinctively returned to its vomit of ribald insult.

   • 1888, Ambrose Pierce, "A Fruitless Assignment", Can Such Things Be? (Pub. 1893):

     [T]he curious crowd had collected in the street […] , with here and there a scoffer uttering his incredulity and courage with scornful remarks or ribald cries.

Translations

coarse, lewd, vulgar

• Armenian: կոպիտ (hy) (kopit) , գռեհիկ (hy) (gṙehik) , անվայել (hy) (anvayel) 
• Azeri: ədəbsiz (az)
• Dutch: grof (nl), vulgair (nl),
• Estonian: rõve (et)
• Finnish: ruokoton (fi)
• French: grossier (fr), vulgaire (fr), grivois (fr), paillard (fr)
• German: frivol (de)

• Greek: άσεμνα (el) (ásemna) 

  Ancient: βωμολόχος

• Hungarian: szemérmetlen (hu)
• Lithuanian: storžieviškas (lt)
• Russian: непристойный (ru) (nepristojnyj), похабный (ru) (poxabnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: скаредан m, вулгаран m

  Roman: skaredan m, vulgaran m

• Thai: พูดสามหาว (th) (phūd s̄āmh̄āw)
• Turkish: yüzsüz (tr), utanmaz (tr), müstehcen (tr), ağzı bozuk (tr), terbiyesiz (tr)

Noun

ribald (plural ribalds)

1. An individual who is filthy or vulgar in nature.
   • 1483 [1900 edition], William Caxton (Trans.), Jacobus de Voragine, "Life of S. Paul the first Hermit", The Golden Legend:

     After, he made an harlot, a ribald, come to him alone for to touch his members and his body, to move to lechery.

Translations

individual who is filthy or vulgar

• Armenian: զազրախոս (hy) (zazraxos) , հայհոյախոս (hy) (hayhoyaxos) 
• Dutch: lomperik (nl),viezerik (nl)
• French: balourd (fr),lourdaud (fr),dégoûtant (fr),sagouin (fr),
• Old Norse: ribbaldi m

• Russian: сквернослов (ru) m (skvernoslov)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: хулник m

  Roman: hulnik m

Related terms

• ribaldry

Anagrams

• bridal