feble

Catalan

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *bʰléh₁yeti
Proto-Italic *flēō
Latin fleō
Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom
Proto-Italic *-ðlom
Proto-Italic *-ðlis
Latin -bilis
Latin flēbilis
Vulgar Latin *fēbilis
Old Catalan feble
Catalan feble

    Inherited from Old Catalan feble, from Vulgar Latin *fēbilis, from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation, from fleō (“to weep”) (akin to fluō (“to flow”)).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): (Northern) [ˈfe̞b.blə]
    • IPA(key): (Balearic, Central) [ˈfeb.blə]
    • IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˈfe.ble]
    • IPA(key): (Northwestern) [ˈfeb.ble]
    • Audio (Barcelona):(file)

    Adjective

    feble m or f (masculine and feminine plural febles)

    1. weak, feeble
      Synonym: dèbil
      Antonym: fort

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • → Spanish: feble

    Further reading

    Franco-Provençal

    Adjective

    feble (Old Dauphinois)

    1. alternative form of fêblo (“weak”)

    References

    Galician

    Etymology

    Attested since 1370. Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese febre, borrowed from Old Occitan feble or Old French feble, from Vulgar Latin *fēbelis, from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈfɛble/ [ˈfɛ.β̞lɪ]
    • Rhymes: -ɛble

    Adjective

    feble m or f (plural febles)

    1. feeble; weak
      Synonym: débil
      • 1370, R. Lorenzo, editor, Crónica troiana, A Coruña: Fundación Barrié, page 613:
        tu coydas que nós somos molleres mãsas et febres cõmo son as outras, et sabe que nós nõ somos taes
        you think that we are meek and feeble women, as the others, but you must know that we are not such
      • 1934, Vicente Risco, Mitteleuropa:
        Non istá lonxe, Rankestrasse; mais com'o vehículo non vai á présa, podolle coller o gusto no meio da baraúnda que m'axorda e m'impón. Endexamais me sintín tan extranxeiro nen tan badoco, doorosamente badoco dista volta, polo feble que m'achaba d'esprito.
        Rankestrasse is not far away; but, given that the vehicle is not going fast, I can appreciate the hubbub that deafens and impress me. Never in my life have I felt so estranger and rustic, painfully rustic this time because of how feeble my spirit felt.
    2. soft
      Synonyms: mol, suave

    References

    Ido

    Etymology

    febla (“weak”) +‎ -e

    Adverb

    feble

    1. weakly, dimly, faintly, feebly, lightly, mildly

    Middle English

    Etymology 1

      From Anglo-Norman feble, from Latin flēbilis.

      Alternative forms

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /ˈfeːbəl/, /ˈfeːblə/, /ˈfɛ̝ː-/[1]

      Adjective

      feble (plural and weak singular feble, comparative feblere, superlative feblest)

      1. Feeble, weak, or strengthless:
        1. Infirm, weak, or frail; lacking physical strength or capability.
        2. Cowardly, nervous, overcautious; lacking willpower.
        3. Unfaithful, unbelieving; lacking religious confidence.
        4. Unthinking, unwise; lacking mental acuity.
        5. Ineffective, weak; lacking power, strength, or magnitude.
        6. Easily damaged, broken, or bent; lacking sturdiness or robustness.
      2. Insidious, iniquitous; morally wrong or erroneous.
      3. Of bad quality, design, or keeping; shoddily constructed or maintained.
      4. Sad, grieving (because of misfortune or bad luck)
      5. (rare, money) Having a low precious metal content.
      Antonyms
      Derived terms
      Descendants
      References
      1. ^ Wright, Joseph (1892), “Chapter IV. The French Element — The Vowels.”, in A grammar of the dialect of Windhill, in the West Riding of Yorkshire (English Dialect Society Series C; 67)‎[1], London: for the English Dialect Society by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., →OCLC, § 231, page 65.

      Etymology 2

      From Anglo-Norman *feblir.

      Verb

      feble

      1. alternative form of feblen

      Occitan

      Etymology

      From Vulgar Latin *fēbelis, from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation.

      Pronunciation

      Adjective

      feble m (feminine singular febla, masculine plural febles, feminine plural feblas)

      1. weak, feeble
        Synonym: debil

      Derived terms

      Old Catalan

        Adjective

        feble

        1. weak

        Descendants

        Old French

        Alternative forms

        Etymology

        From Vulgar Latin *fēbelis, from Latin flēbilis (“tearful, mournful, lamentable”) by dissimilation.

        Adjective

        feble m (feminine feble)

        1. weak; feeble

        Derived terms

        Descendants

        Spanish

        Etymology

        Etymology tree
        Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-
        Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁-
        Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
        Proto-Indo-European *bʰléh₁yeti
        Proto-Italic *flēō
        Latin fleō
        Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom
        Proto-Italic *-ðlom
        Proto-Italic *-ðlis
        Latin -bilis
        Latin flēbilis
        Vulgar Latin *fēbilis
        Old Catalan feblebor.
        Old Spanish feble
        Spanish feble

          Inherited from Old Spanish feble, borrowed from Old Catalan feble, from Vulgar Latin *fēbilis (“lamentable”), dissimilated from Latin flēbilis, from fleō (“to weep”) + -bilis.

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /ˈfeble/ [ˈfe.β̞le]
          • Rhymes: -eble
          • Syllabification: fe‧ble

          Adjective

          feble m or f (masculine and feminine plural febles)

          1. feeble
            Synonym: débil

          Further reading

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