rubba

Swedish

Etymology

Related to Icelandic rubba (“to scrape”), of uncertain origin, possibly from Old Norse riūfa, rjúfa (“to break open, clear away”). Likely cognate of English rub.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

rubba (present rubbar, preterite rubbade, supine rubbat, imperative rubba)

1. (sometimes with på) to move (something) slightly (often out of its ordinary or intended position); to nudge, to dislodge

   Han kunde inte rubba (på) stenen

   He couldn't move the rock

2. (transitive, figurative) to disturb, to upset, to change

   att rubba balansen ― to upset the balance

   Han gick inte att rubba ― His mind could not be changed ("He could not be nudged")

   Det där är ju rubbat ― That's crazy

   Han är rubbad ― He's deranged

Conjugation

Conjugation of rubba (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	rubba		rubbas
supine	rubbat		rubbats
imperative	rubba		—
imper. plural1	rubben		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	rubbar	rubbade	rubbas	rubbades
ind. plural1	rubba	rubbade	rubbas	rubbades
subjunctive2	rubbe	rubbade	rubbes	rubbades
present participle		rubbande
past participle		rubbad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• rubba någons cirklar

Related terms

• orubblig
• rubbad
• rubbning

See also

• rucka

References

• rubba in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• rubba in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• rubba in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• rubba in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)
• Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 2520