cower

Signification

Concepts

Synonymes

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(Anglais)

(intransitive) To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.
(archaic, intransitive) To crouch in general.
(transitive) To cause to cower; to frighten into submission.
(figuratively, intransitive) To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.

Fréquence

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈkaʊɚ/

Hérité de moyen anglais

Appartenant à islandais

Appartenant à allemand

Appartenant à néerlandais

Appartenant à serbo-croate

Appartenant à suédois

In summary

From Middle English couren, cowre, from Middle Low German kûren (“to lie in wait; linger”) or from North Germanic (Icelandic kúra (“to doze”)); according to Pokorny, all are ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to curve, bend”), see also Proto-Germanic *kuddô (“shell, pod”). Cognate with German kauern (“to squat”), Dutch koeren (“to keep watch (in a cowered position)”), Serbo-Croatian kutriti (“to lie in a bent position”), Swedish kura (“huddle, cower”). Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.