bloß

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See also: bloss

Alemannic German

Etymology

Cognate to German bloß

Adverb

bloß

  1. merely, just, only

References

  • Hans Rudolf Balmer: Es chunnt geng, wie's mueß: Bärndütschi Geschichte. Verlag Friedrich Reinhardt AG., Basel, , e.g. p. 16, 39, 77 (H. R. Balmer lived from 1899 till 1993)
  • Manfred Bosch: Wa witt no meh: Alemannische Gedichte – herausgegeben von Siegmund Kopitzki, mit Grafiken von Susanne Kiebler. Gmeiner-Verlag GmbH, Meßkirch, 2019

German

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle High German bloß, from Middle High German blōȥ, from Old High German blōz (bare, naked), from Proto-Germanic *blautaz (void, emaciated, soft), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlaw- (weak, frightened).

Cognate with Dutch bloot (bare, naked), Danish blød (soft, weak), Swedish blott (merely, just), French blouse. More at blouse.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bloːs/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -oːs

Adjective

bloß (strong nominative masculine singular bloßer, comparative bloßer, superlative am bloßesten)

  1. mere, sole
  2. bare, uncovered, nude

Declension

Adverb

bloß

  1. merely, only
    Synonym: nur
    • c. 1914, Franz Kafka, Der Prozess [The Trial], Berlin: Die Schmiede, published 1925, page 68:
      K. hatte sich entschlossen, mehr zu beobachten als zu reden, infolgedessen verzichtete er auf die Verteidigung wegen seines angeblichen Zuspätkommens und sagte bloß: „Mag ich zu spät gekommen sein, jetzt bin ich hier.“
      K. had decided to observe more than speak, consequently he abstained from the defense about his alleged coming late and only said: „May I have come too late, now I am here.“
  2. (colloquial, modal particle) Used to add emphasis or to respond to a request.
    Pass bloß auf!Just watch out!

Further reading