derb

See also: derb-

German

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 (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (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
4. (youth slang) cool, very good

   Alternative form: derbe

Declension

Positive forms of derb

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist derb	sie ist derb	es ist derb	sie sind derb
strong declension (without article)	nominative	derber	derbe	derbes	derbe
	genitive	derben	derber	derben	derber
	dative	derbem	derber	derbem	derben
	accusative	derben	derbe	derbes	derbe
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der derbe	die derbe	das derbe	die derben
	genitive	des derben	der derben	des derben	der derben
	dative	dem derben	der derben	dem derben	den derben
	accusative	den derben	die derbe	das derbe	die derben
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein derber	eine derbe	ein derbes	(keine) derben
	genitive	eines derben	einer derben	eines derben	(keiner) derben
	dative	einem derben	einer derben	einem derben	(keinen) derben
	accusative	einen derben	eine derbe	ein derbes	(keine) derben

Comparative forms of derb

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist derber	sie ist derber	es ist derber	sie sind derber
strong declension (without article)	nominative	derberer	derbere	derberes	derbere
	genitive	derberen	derberer	derberen	derberer
	dative	derberem	derberer	derberem	derberen
	accusative	derberen	derbere	derberes	derbere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der derbere	die derbere	das derbere	die derberen
	genitive	des derberen	der derberen	des derberen	der derberen
	dative	dem derberen	der derberen	dem derberen	den derberen
	accusative	den derberen	die derbere	das derbere	die derberen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein derberer	eine derbere	ein derberes	(keine) derberen
	genitive	eines derberen	einer derberen	eines derberen	(keiner) derberen
	dative	einem derberen	einer derberen	einem derberen	(keinen) derberen
	accusative	einen derberen	eine derbere	ein derberes	(keine) derberen

Superlative forms of derb

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am derbsten	sie ist am derbsten	es ist am derbsten	sie sind am derbsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	derbster	derbste	derbstes	derbste
	genitive	derbsten	derbster	derbsten	derbster
	dative	derbstem	derbster	derbstem	derbsten
	accusative	derbsten	derbste	derbstes	derbste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der derbste	die derbste	das derbste	die derbsten
	genitive	des derbsten	der derbsten	des derbsten	der derbsten
	dative	dem derbsten	der derbsten	dem derbsten	den derbsten
	accusative	den derbsten	die derbste	das derbste	die derbsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein derbster	eine derbste	ein derbstes	(keine) derbsten
	genitive	eines derbsten	einer derbsten	eines derbsten	(keiner) derbsten
	dative	einem derbsten	einer derbsten	einem derbsten	(keinen) derbsten
	accusative	einen derbsten	eine derbste	ein derbstes	(keine) derbsten

Adverb

derb

1. (youth slang) Used as intensifier; very

   Alternative form: derbe

Further reading

• “derb” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “derb” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “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 trīewe, English true.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd̠ʲeɾβ/

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. 26^a6

     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	de(i)rbbæ	deirb
dative	derb	deirb	derb
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	deirb	derba
vocative	derbu derba†
accusative	derbu derba†
genitive	derb
dative	derbaib

*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

Mutation of derb

radical	lenition	nasalization
derb	derb pronounced with /ðʲ-/	nderb

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

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