Ferkel

Bedeutung (Englisch)

1. (neuter, strong) piglet; a young/immature pig
2. (derogatory, neuter, strong) a dirty or contemptible person

Synonyme

Schweinchen

Frischling

Dreckschwein

Wutz

Schmutzfink

Dreckspatz

Schwein

Saubartel

ferkeln

Frischlinge

Schmierfink

Spanferkel

Schweinigel

Saugferkel

Schweins…

junges Schwein

Übersetzungen

piglet

big

lechón

cochonnet

porcelet

goret

maialino

leitão

cochinillo

domuz yavrusu

porcellino

porquinho

porcella

Dialekte

Basel-Landschaft

seili

Daten bereitgestellt von: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch

Ausgesprochen als (IPA)

/ˈfɛrkəl/

Etymologie (Englisch)

Geerbt von Mittelhochdeutsch: verhelīn

Geerbt von Althochdeutsch: farhilī

Verwandt mit Old Dutch: farkīn

Verwandt mit Niederländisch: varken

In summary

From Middle High German verhelīn, from Old High German farhilī, farhilīn, diminutive of farah (“pig”), from Proto-Germanic *farhaz (whence English farrow), from Proto-Indo-European *pórḱos.
The -k- has been explained as an irregular fortition of -h-, which would be plausible if the form were of Upper German origin, where -h- was strong and where there was dialectal variation between -rch- and -rk-. However, Middle High German verkelen is first found in West Central German along the Rhine, where stem-internal -h- had been lost early on (compare accordingly Middle High German verlīn). It therefore seems at least equally probable that the -k- is due to influence by a related Rhenish word for “pig, piglet”, still found today in Ripuarian Ferke, which goes back to a Frankish *far(i)kīn (compare Old Dutch farkīn, ferkīn, whence modern Dutch varken), from Proto-Germanic *farhikīną, another diminutive of *farhaz.