трепать

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic трепати (trepati), from Proto-Slavic *trepati.

Cognate with Ukrainian трепа́ти (trepáty), Belarusian трепа́ць (trjepácʹ), Slovene trépati (first singular trẹ́pljem), Czech třepat, Slovak trepať, Polish trzepać, Upper Sorbian třepać, Lower Sorbian tśepaś, tśapaś. Further cognate with Lithuanian trepsė́ti (“to stomp”), trapinė́ti (“to kick”), Old Prussian ertreppa (“to cross”), Ancient Greek τραπέω (trapéō, “to squeeze”), Latin trepidus (“agitated”), Sanskrit तृप्र (tṛprá, “unstable”), तृपल (tṛpala, “unstable”), Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌱𐍉𐌽 (þrabōn, “to trot”). Compare with English throb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

трепа́ть • (trepátʹ) impf (perfective потрепа́ть or истрепа́ть)

1. (flax etc) to scutch, to swingle
2. to pull about, to blow about, to flutter, to tousle

   его́ тре́плет лихора́дка ― jevó tréplet lixorádka ― he is feverish; he is shivering with fever

   трепа́ть не́рвы кому́-либо ― trepátʹ nérvy komú-libo ― to fray someone's nerves

   трепа́ть языко́м ― trepátʹ jazykóm ― 1) to twaddle; prattle;, blather; chew the fat / rag 2) to blab; blabber

   трепа́ть за во́лосы кого́-либо ― trepátʹ za vólosy kovó-libo ― to pull someone's hair

3. (colloquial) to wear out, to fray, to tear

   Perfective: истрепа́ть (istrepátʹ)

4. to pat

   трепа́ть кого́-либо по плечу́ ― trepátʹ kovó-libo po plečú ― to pat someone's shoulder

   Perfective: потрепа́ть (potrepátʹ)

5. to beat up, to maul, to pummel

   Perfective: потрепа́ть (potrepátʹ)

6. to give a hard life/time

   Perfective: потрепа́ть (potrepátʹ)

7. to mention too often, to make too many references (to), to hackney

   не хо́чется трепа́ть э́то высо́кое сло́во ― ne xóčetsja trepátʹ éto vysókoje slóvo ― I wouldn't like to use this lofty word without a special reason

   по́сле э́той исто́рии его́ и́мя ста́ли трепа́ть вовсю́ ― pósle étoj istórii jevó ímja stáli trepátʹ vovsjú ― after that incident, his name became the talk of the town

   Perfective: растрепа́ть (rastrepátʹ)

Conjugation

Derived terms

• трёпаный (trjópanyj)
• трепа́ло (trepálo)

Related terms

• трепета́ть (trepetátʹ), трепета́ние (trepetánije)
• тре́пет (trépet)
• тре́петный (trépetnyj), тре́петно (trépetno)
• трёпка (trjópka)
• трепло́ (trepló), трепла́ч (trepláč)
• трепыха́ть (trepyxátʹ)
• растрёпа (rastrjópa)

References

• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “трепать”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress