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þurfan. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
þurfan, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
þurfan in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
þurfan you have here. The definition of the word
þurfan will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
þurfan, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *þurban (“to need”).
Germanic cognates include Old Frisian *thurva, Old Saxon thurƀan, Old Dutch thurvan, Old High German durfan, Old Norse þurfa, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌽 (þaurban).
Pronunciation
Verb
þurfan
- to need
- to be obliged (to do something)
Usage notes
- Þurfan is not used in the passive voice, i.e. to express that something "is/was needed", as it lacks an attested past participle. Instead, one would say that there "is/was need of it" using the related noun þearf, along with the genitive of the thing needed, the dative of the one experiencing the need, and the verb "to be": Us wæs þīne þearf ("You were needed by us", or more literally, "To us, there was need of you").
Conjugation
Descendants