kerven

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch kerven, from Old Dutch *kervan, from Proto-West Germanic *kerban, from Proto-Germanic *kerbaną.

Pronunciation

• Audio

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• IPA^(key): /ˈkɛr.və(n)/
• Hyphenation: ker‧ven
• Rhymes: -ɛrvən

Verb

kerven

1. (intransitive) To cut, gouge out
2. (transitive) To carve (out); (cut a) notch

Inflection

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: skèrf

Noun

kerven

1. plural of kerf

Anagrams

• verken

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *kervan, from Proto-West Germanic *kerban, from Proto-Germanic *kerbaną.

Verb

kerven

1. to carve, to cut out
2. to cut through, to cut into pieces
3. to destroy, to break

Inflection

Descendants

• Dutch: kerven

Further reading

• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “kerven”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• carve, carven, cerven, karven, kerve, kirven, kyrvyn
• ceorfan, ceorfæn, keorven (Early Middle English)

Etymology

From Old English ċeorfan, from Proto-West Germanic *kerban, from Proto-Germanic *kerbaną. The total depalatalization of most forms seems to have arisen from analogy to past plural curven and past participle corven.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɛrvən/
• Rhymes: -ɛrvən

Verb

kerven

1. To cut or stab; to slash as to cause cutting or stabbing:
   1. To cut into; to slice (especially meat).
   2. To make surgical incisions or perform surgical operations.
   3. To mince or slice up (slice into bits)
   4. To separate by cutting; to cut apart.
   5. To remove or expel by cutting off or out.
2. To carve; to carve into or in the likeness of.
3. To divide or separate; to split up.
4. To eliminate or destroy; to take away.
5. To go across; to exist across.

Conjugation

Related terms

• forkerven
• kerf

Descendants

• English: carve
• Scots: cairve, kerve, kerf, carf

References

• “kerven, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-24.