raspy

English

WOTD – 24 October 2009

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-

Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreb / *(s)krebʰ-

Proto-Germanic *hrepsaną / *hrepspaną

Proto-Germanic *hrespaną

Proto-Germanic *hraspōną

Frankish *hraspōnbor.

Vulgar Latin *raspāre

Old French rasperbor.

Middle English raspen

English rasp

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Germanic *-gaz

Proto-West Germanic *-g

Old English -iġ

Middle English -y

English -y

English raspy

From rasp + -y.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɑː.spɪ/, /ˈɹæs.pi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹæs.pi/

• Audio (General American, raspy quality):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian, clear quality):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːspi, -æspi

Adjective

raspy (comparative raspier, superlative raspiest)

1. (of sound, especially vocal quality) Rough, raw.

   His incessant coughing made his voice sound raspy.

   • 2024 November 15, Ann Scott Tyson, Laurent Belsie, “Trump prepares for ‘economic warfare’ with China”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

     “This,” [Ambassador Robert Lighthizer] stressed in his raspy voice, “is the key economic policy battle of patriotic Americans in the upcoming generation.”

2. Irritable.
   • 1869, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women Wedded:

     I don't wish to get raspy, so let's change the subject.

Synonyms

• (rough, raw): grating, harsh, hoarse, rough
• (irritable): irritable

Derived terms

• raspily
• raspiness

Translations

rough, raw

• Bulgarian: дрезгав (bg) (drezgav)
• Czech: chraplavý
• Dutch: rauw (nl)
• Finnish: käheä (fi)
• French: râpe (fr) m or f (sound), râpeux (fr) m (voice)
• German: rau (de)
• Māori: māngūngungu
• Polish: zgrzytliwy
• Romanian: aspru (ro), răgușit (ro) m
• Russian: дребезжа́щий (ru) (drebezžáščij), скреже́щущий (ru) (skrežéščuščij)
• Serbo-Croatian: promukao (sh) m
• Spanish: ronco (es) m (voice)
• Swedish: raspig (sv), skrovlig (sv)

irritable — see irritable

Anagrams

• Prays, Sarpy, prays, spary, spray