kirre

kirre

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of kirren

• IPA^(key): /ˈkirˑe/, [ˈkirˑe̞]
• Rhymes: -irˑe
• Hyphenation: kir‧re

Unknown.

kirre (genitive kirde, partitive kirret)

1. northeast

compass points:  ^[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

kirre

1. genitive singular of kirs

• kirre in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “kirre”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

From Middle High German kirre (“docile”), unrounding of kürre, from Old High German *quirri, *querri, from Proto-Germanic *kwerruz (“calm”). Cognate with Danish kvær, Swedish kvar, Gothic 𐌵𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌿𐍃 (qairrus). The semantic development from “docile” to “confused” may have occurred in the context of flirting (kirre machen originally “make weak, amenable”, now usually understood as “make unable to think straight”); likely reinforced by the rhyming word irre (“mad”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪʁə/

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kirre (strong nominative masculine singular kirrer, comparative kirrer, superlative am kirrsten or am kirresten)

1. (chiefly predicative) not thinking straight, confused, nervous or slightly hysteric

   Lass dich von dem Finanzberater mit seinem Gesäusel bloß nicht kirre machen!

   Don’t let that financial consultant get to you (make you confused or insecure) with his smooth-talk!

   Du machst mich ja ganz kirre in diesem neuen Kleid...

   You’re getting me all mixed up in this new dress...

   Jetzt seid mal kurz still! Ich werd hier noch kirre.

   Now all of you shut up for once! I’m about to lose my head in here.

2. (hunting, ornithology) tame, accepting human fodder
3. (otherwise archaic) tame, docile

• kirren