kirre

Meaning

1. (predicative) not thinking straight, confused, nervous or slightly hysteric
2. tame, accepting human fodder
3. tame, docile

Concepts

tame

domesticated

Synonyms

schreckhaft

fickerig

gereizt

erregt

nervös

aufgeregt

unruhig

aufgewühlt

durcheinander

kribbelig

wenig aufregend

rappelig

rapplig

kabbelig

aufgekratzt

wie ein aufgescheuchtes Huhn

beunruhigt

fieberhaft

gezähmt

ruhelos

zappelig

aufgedreht

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɪʁə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German: kirre

Inherited from Old High German: *quirri

Cognate with Danish: kvær

Cognate with Swedish: kvar

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌵𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌿𐍃

In summary

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”).