Doof
German
Etymology
See doof. The noun is from Central Franconian dialects, especially Ripuarian ones, in which nominalized masculine adjectives are endingless, e.g. dä Aal (“the old man”), dä Kleen (“the little one”). This continues Middle High German -e, which was apocopated; in attributive position this form was then replaced with the accusative in -e(n), whereas in nominalization it was generalized to all cases. Doof is one of very few such forms that have entered local Standard German.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /doːf/
Noun
Doof m (strong, genitive (both rare) Doof or Doofs, plural (rare) Doofs)
- (colloquial, chiefly Rhineland) an idiot, someone stupid
- Was will der Doof von mir? ― What does this idiot want from me?
- 2012 January 20, Thomas Spekowius, “Mit Johannes Rau, den Bläck Fööss und den Höhnern auf der Bühne – und auf einen Kaffee beim lieben Gott”, in www.lokalkompass.de[1]:
- Da betrat der Landesvater, wohl eher aus Versehen, den Saal und wurde von den Karnevalisten bis auf die Bühne komplimentiert. „Da stand ich dann wie so ein Doof daneben“, erinnert sich Trappe. Und irgendwann wandte sich Johannes Rau zu ihm und sagte: „Na, Jung, jetzt hab ich Dir wohl die Show gestohlen, was?“
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Usage notes
- The genitive is rare because of the general rarity of this case in colloquial speech. The plural normally has adjectival declension, thus being no different from regular Standard German nominalized forms of doof (Doofe, Doofen). The plural Doofs, due to incomprehension of the original dialectal construction, is occasionally met with.