ob

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ob"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɒb/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb

Etymology 1

From Latin ob, abbreviation of obolus.

Noun

ob (plural obs)

1. (historical) a halfpenny

Etymology 2

Abbreviations.

Noun

ob (plural obs)

1. (archaic) an objection
2. (genetics) the obese gene
3. (meteorology) observation

Coordinate terms

• (objection): sol

See also

• ob-gyn (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• BO, Bo, bo

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech ob, from Proto-Slavic *obь.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈop]

Preposition

ob [with accusative]

1. every other/second

   Nakupovat jezdíme ob týden. ― We go shopping every other week.

Related terms

• -ob
• oba
• občas

Further reading

• “ob”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “ob”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German obe, ob, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Compare English if.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/

• Audio:

  (file)

Conjunction

ob

1. (subordinating) Introduces an indirect question, a doubt. if, whether.

   ob ... oder ― if ... or

   Ich weiß nicht, ob sie krank ist.

   I don't know if she's sick

   Hast du sie gefragt, ob sie kommt?

   Did you ask her if she's coming?

   Ob das wirklich wahr ist?

   Is it really true?

2. (conditional, obsolete, except in als ob) if, in case

Usage notes

A general trick to remember whether to use ob or wenn is that if whether could be used in the English sentence, then ob needs to be used in the German sentence.

Etymology 2

From Middle High German obe, from Old High German oba, from Proto-Germanic *ub (“under”), from Proto-Indo-European *upó (“under, below”). Related with über, oben.

A chiefly Upper German word, pronounced with a short vowel in Alemannic areas and with a long vowel in Austro-Bavarian areas. In the north, the short vowel is from etymology 1, perhaps also reinforced by association with regional forms of auf (Central Franconian op, Low German up, op). The long vowel is standard in Obacht, beobachten.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/ (German standard; Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /oːp/ (Austria; Bavaria)

Preposition

ob

1. (formal, literary) on account of [with genitive or (rare) dative]

   Synonyms: angesichts, wegen

   • 2019, Editorial Staff, “Große Enttäuschung nach Abbruch vom Seifenkistenrennen”, in Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger‎^[1]:

     Viele Seifenkisten haben ob ihrer dünnen Räder nicht die Bodenhaftung eines normalen Autoreifens und verfügen nur über so genannte Stempelbremsen.

     Many soapbox cars, on account of their thin wheels, do not have the traction of a normal car tire and have only so-called spoon brakes at their disposal.

2. (archaic or dialectal) over, above, on [with dative]

   Synonym: über

   Antonyms: unter; (obsolete) nied, nid

Derived terms

• ob-
• obderennsisch
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Further reading

• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German obe, ob, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Compare German ob.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oːp/

Conjunction

ob (subordinating)

1. Introduces an indirect question, a doubt. if, whether.

   Ich will mol frohe, ob-der es honn.

   I want to ask if you have it.

   Meer sihn, ob-er kommd.

   we'll see if he comes.

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “ob”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *op, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí), Sanskrit अपि (ápi), Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬞𐬌 (aⁱpi), Old Persian [script needed] (apiy), and Old Armenian եւ (ew). Also related to English by.

The accusative is from the pre-PIE directional and the PIE direct object.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɔb]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɔb]

Preposition

ob (+ accusative)

1. in the direction of, to, towards
2. on account of, according to, because of, due to, for (the purpose of)

   ob haec, ob hoc, ob ea, ob eam rem ― for this/that reason, because of this/that reason

   ob aliquam rem gratia ― give thanks for something

3. against; facing

Derived terms

• ob-

References

• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ob”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • I blame this in you; I censure you for this: hoc in te reprehendo (not ob eam rem)
    
• DIZIONARIO LATINO OLIVETTI

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), from Proto-Indo-European *e-, *ē- (“then, at that time”). Cognate with English if, West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef (“if, whether”), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef, if (“if”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /op/

Adverb

ob

1. if, whether

   Weess du, ob d'Apdikt muer op ass?

   Do you know if the pharmacy is open tomorrow?

Old English

Preposition

ob

1. alternative form of of

Old Irish

Noun

ob f

1. alternative form of aub

Scots

Noun

ob

1. alternative form of ab

Volapük

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ob/

Pronoun

ob

1. I (first-person singular, nominative)
   • 1932, Arie de Jong, Leerboek der Wereldtaal, page 15:

     Ob it egivob ciles et magodis ot.

     I have given those children the same pictures myself.

Declension

Volapük personal pronouns

			nominative	genitive	dative	accusative	possessive
1st person		singular	ob	oba	obe	obi	obik
		plural	obs	obas	obes	obis	obsik
2nd person	familiar	singular	ol	ola	ole	oli	olik
		plural	ols	olas	oles	olis	olsik
	polite	singular	or	ora	ore	ori	orik
		plural	ors	oras	ores	oris	orsik
3rd person	m	singular	om	oma	ome	omi	omik
		plural	oms	omas	omes	omis	omsik
	f	singular	of	ofa	ofe	ofi	ofik
		plural	ofs	ofas	ofes	ofis	ofsik
	n definite	singular	on	ona	one	oni	onik
		plural	ons	onas	ones	onis	onsik
	n indefinite	singular	os	osa	ose	osi	osik
indefinite		singular	oy	oya	oye	oyi	oyik
reflexive	oneself	singular	ok	oka	oke	oki	okik
		plural	oks	okas	okes	okis	oksik
	each other	singular	od	oda	ode	odi	odik
		plural	ods	odas	odes	odis	odsik

White Hmong

White Hmong cardinal numbers

<  1	2	3  >
Cardinal : ob

Etymology

From Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔu̯i (“two”). Cognate with Iu Mien i.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɒ˥/

Numeral

ob

1. two

References

• Ernest E. Heimbach, White Hmong - English Dictionary (1979, SEAP Publications)