verquast
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Low German verquars, variant of verdwars, derived from ver- + dwars (“cross, diagonal, aslant”), from Middle Low German dwers, dwer, from Old Saxon thwerh, from Proto-Germanic *þwerhaz. Doublet of synonymous verquer. The final -t in German (or perhaps already Low German) by association with a past participle. Coda -r- is unpronounced in most dialects of Low German (as it is in some accents of standard German), hence the form verquast. Association with the unrelated adjective Low German dwas, quas (“dim-witted, daft”) and the derived verb dwasen, quasen (see German quasseln) may have contributed to both developments.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌfɛɐ̯ˈkvaːst/ (usual)
- IPA(key): /ˌfɛɐ̯ˈkvast/ (rare)
Audio: (file)
Adjective
verquast (strong nominative masculine singular verquaster, comparative verquaster, superlative am verquastesten)