ob

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɒb/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb

Etymology 1

From Latin ob, abbreviation of obolus.

Noun

ob (plural obs)

1. (historical) a halfpenny

Etymology 2

Abbreviations.

Noun

ob (plural obs)

1. (archaic) an objection
2. (genetics) the obese gene
3. (meteorology) observation

Coordinate terms

• (objection): sol

See also

• ob-gyn (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• BO, Bo, bo

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech ob, from Proto-Slavic *obь.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Preposition

ob

1. every other/second

   Nakupovat jezdíme ob týden. ― We go shopping every other week.

Related terms

Further reading

• ob in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• ob in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German obe, ob, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Compare English if.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/

• Audio

  (file)

Conjunction

ob

1. (subordinating) Introduces an indirect question, a doubt. if, whether.

   ob ... oder ― if ... or

   Ich weiß nicht, ob sie krank ist.

   I don't know if she's sick

   Hast du sie gefragt, ob sie kommt?

   Did you ask her if she's coming?

   Ob das wirklich wahr ist?

   Is it really true?

2. (conditional, obsolete, except in als ob) if, in case

Usage notes

A general trick to remember whether to use ob or wenn is that if whether could be used in the English sentence, then ob needs to be used in the German sentence.

Etymology 2

From Middle High German obe, from Old High German oba, from Proto-Germanic *ub (“under”), from Proto-Indo-European *upó (“under, below”). Related with über, oben.

A chiefly Upper German word, pronounced with a short vowel in Alemannic areas and with a long vowel in Austro-Bavarian areas. In the north, the short vowel is from etymology 1, perhaps also reinforced by association with regional forms of auf (Central Franconian op, Low German up, op). The long vowel is standard in Obacht, beobachten.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/ (German standard; Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /oːp/ (Austria; Bavaria)

Preposition

ob

1. (formal, literary, + genitive; rare with dative) on account of

   Synonyms: angesichts, wegen

   • 2019, Editorial Staff, “Große Enttäuschung nach Abbruch vom Seifenkistenrennen”, in Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger‎:

     Viele Seifenkisten haben ob ihrer dünnen Räder nicht die Bodenhaftung eines normalen Autoreifens und verfügen nur über so genannte Stempelbremsen.

     Many soapbox cars, on account of their thin wheels, do not have the traction of a normal car tire and have only so-called spoon brakes at their disposal.

2. (archaic or dialectal, + dative) over, above, on

   Synonym: über

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "over, above"): unter; (obsolete) nied, nid

Derived terms

• ob-
• obderennsisch
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Further reading

• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *op, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí), Sanskrit अपि (ápi), Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬞𐬌 (aⁱpi), Old Persian (apiy), and Old Armenian եւ (ew). Also related to English by.

The accusative is from the pre-PIE directional and the PIE direct object.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ob/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ob/,

Preposition

ob (+ accusative)

1. in the direction of, to, towards
2. on account of, according to, because of, due to, for (the purpose of)

   ob haec, ob hoc, ob ea, ob eam rem ― for this/that reason, because of this/that reason

   ob aliquam rem gratia ― give thanks for something

3. against; facing

Derived terms

• ob-

References

• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ob in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • I blame this in you; I censure you for this: hoc in te reprehendo (not ob eam rem)
    
• DIZIONARIO LATINO OLIVETTI

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), from Proto-Indo-European *e-, *ē- (“then, at that time”). Cognate with English if, West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef (“if, whether”), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef, if (“if”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /op/

Adverb

ob

1. if, whether

   Weess du, ob d'Apdikt muer op ass?

   Do you know if the pharmacy is open tomorrow?

Old Irish

Noun

ob f

1. Alternative form of aub

Volapük

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ob/

Pronoun

ob

1. I (first-person singular, nominative)

Declension

White Hmong

Etymology

From Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔu̯i (“two”). Cognate with Iu Mien i.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɒ˥/

Numeral

ob

1. two

References

• Ernest E. Heimbach, White Hmong - English Dictionary (1979, SEAP Publications)