erbarmen

• IPA^(key): /ɛrˈbɑrmə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: er‧bar‧men

From Middle Dutch erbarmen, from Old High German irbarmēn, with two prefixes ir- +‎ ab- +‎ armēn. The base verb derives from Proto-West Germanic *armēn, from Proto-Germanic *armāną (“to pity”), from *armaz (“poor”) (modern arm). The word ontfermen derives from the same source, with a different prefix.

erbarmen

1. (intransitive) to have mercy, to take pity

• erbarmelijk
• erbarming

Gerund of the verb erbarmen.

erbarmen n (uncountable)

1. mercy, pity

• erbarming

Most likely related to archaic German Barm (“bosom”) and has the sense of "cherishing in one's bosom," from Middle High German barm, from Old High German barm, from Proto-West Germanic *barm.

Alternatively, from Middle High German erbarmen, irbarmen, from Old High German irbarmēn (“to take pity, have mercy on”), from Proto-West Germanic *armēn (“to take pity”).

• Audio:

  (file)

erbarmen (weak, third-person singular present erbarmt, past tense erbarmte, past participle erbarmt, auxiliary haben)

1. (reflexive) to take pity on, to have mercy for [with genitive or (colloquial, proscribed) über (+ accusative) ‘someone’]

   Herr, erbarme Dich unser.

   Lord, have mercy on us.

   Wer wird sich meiner armen Bücher erbarmen?.

   Who will take pity on my poor books?

   • Kehrt' ich mein verirrtes Auge // Zur Sonne, als wenn drüber wär' // Ein Ohr, zu hören meine Klage, // Ein Herz, wie mein's, // Sich des Bedrängten zu erbarmen. Prometheus (Goethe)

     I turned my wandering gaze // Up toward the sun, as if with him // There were an ear to hear my wailings, // A heart, like mine, // To feel compassion for distress.

• This verb can be avoided by using the widely synonymous construction Erbarmen haben mit:
  • Hab Erbarmen mit uns. ― Have pity on us.

• “erbarmen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “erbarmen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “erbarmen” in Duden online
• “erbarmen” in OpenThesaurus.de