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]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

Adjective

derb (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

Further reading

• “derb” in Duden online

---

Old High German

Alternative forms

• derp

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
  • German: derb

---

Old Irish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʲerv/

Adjective

derb (comparative derbu)

1. sure, certain, fixed, determinate

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

• derb-
• derba
• derbaid
• derbda

 

Descendants

• Irish: dearbh
• Manx: jarroo
• Scottish Gaelic: dearbh

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
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

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 derb”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language