erbarmen

• IPA^(key): /ɛrˈbɑrmə(n)/

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• Hyphenation: er‧bar‧men

From Middle Dutch erbarmen, from Old High German irbarmēn, with two prefixes ir- +‎ ab- +‎ armēn. The base verb derives from Proto-West Germanic *armēn, from Proto-Germanic *armāną (“to pity”), from *armaz (“poor”) (modern arm). The word ontfermen derives from the same source, with a different prefix.

erbarmen

1. (intransitive) to have mercy, to take pity

• erbarmelijk
• erbarming

Gerund of the verb erbarmen.

erbarmen n (uncountable)

1. mercy, pity

• erbarming

Most likely related to archaic German Barm (“bosom”) and has the sense of "cherishing in one's bosom," from Middle High German barm, from Old High German barm, from Proto-West Germanic *barm.

Alternatively, from Middle High German erbarmen, irbarmen, from Old High German irbarmēn (“to take pity, have mercy on”), from Proto-West Germanic *armēn (“to take pity”).

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erbarmen (weak, third-person singular present erbarmt, past tense erbarmte, past participle erbarmt, auxiliary haben)

1. (reflexive) to take pity on, to have mercy for

   Herr, erbarme Dich unser.

   Lord, have mercy on us.

   Wer wird sich meiner armen Bücher erbarmen?.

   Who will take pity on my poor books?

   • Kehrt' ich mein verirrtes Auge // Zur Sonne, als wenn drüber wär' // Ein Ohr, zu hören meine Klage, // Ein Herz, wie mein's, // Sich des Bedrängten zu erbarmen. Prometheus (Goethe)

     I turned my wandering gaze // Up toward the sun, as if with him // There were an ear to hear my wailings, // A heart, like mine, // To feel compassion for distress.

• In formal standard German, the verb is used with a genitive object (as above).
  In the colloquial language, but occasionally in writing, the preposition über + accusative may be used instead: Er hat sich über den alten Mann erbarmt. This is however not generally accepted.
• This verb can be avoided by using the widely synonymous construction Erbarmen haben mit (→ Hab Erbarmen mit uns.).

• “erbarmen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “erbarmen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “erbarmen” in Duden online
• “erbarmen” in OpenThesaurus.de