erf
/ɝf/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.03 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Example Sentences
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *arbiją Proto-West Germanic *arbī Old English ierfe Middle English erve English erf From Middle English erve, erfe, from Old English yrfe, ierfe (“heritage, bequest, inheritance, property, inherited property, property that passes to an heir, cattle, livestock”), from Proto-West Germanic *arbī, from Proto-Germanic *arbiją (“heritage”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃erbʰ- (“to change ownership”) (whence also *h₃órbʰos (“orphan”)). Cognate with Dutch erf (“inheritance, patrimony, ground, courtyard”), German Erbe (“heritage, legacy, inheritance”), Danish arv (“heritage, inheritance”), Swedish arv (“heritage, inheritance”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌹 (arbi, “inheritance”), Latin orbus (“orphan”), Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós, “orphan”), Old English ierfa (“heir”). Related to orf. Compare odal and athel.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: erve, yrfe, *arbī, *arbiją, *h₃erbʰ-, erf
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɝf/
- British English: /ɜːf/
Usage
- American usage