piefe

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From northern Old High German *pīfan, from Proto-Germanic *pīpaną.

The sense “to sulk” is not in the Rheinisches Wörterbuch (vol. 6 = 1944) and would thus seem to be fairly young. It can be derived from “to wheeze”, perhaps also from the notion of someone sulkily whiffing away on their pipe. Moreover the RhWb mentions the expression hüle en piefe for wailing, lamenting.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpiːfə/

Verb

piefe (third-person singular present pief, past participle jepeffe)

  1. (Ripuarian) to smoke a pipe
  2. (Ripuarian) to wheeze (breathe loudly and with trouble)
  3. (Ripuarian) to sulk, be grumpy
  4. (Ripuarian, only in expressions) to whistle or play a wind instrument (but this sense is usual in Moselle Franconian)
    Synonym: flöte
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