ob

• IPA^(key): /ɒb/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒb

From Latin ob, abbreviation of obolus.

ob (plural obs)

1. (historical) a halfpenny

Abbreviations.

ob (plural obs)

1. (archaic) an objection
2. (genetics) the obese gene
3. (meteorology) observation

• (objection): sol

• ob-gyn (etymologically unrelated)

• BO, Bo, bo

Inherited from Old Czech ob, from Proto-Slavic *obь.

• IPA^(key): [ˈop]

ob [with accusative]

1. every other/second

   Nakupovat jezdíme ob týden. ― We go shopping every other week.

• “ob”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
• “ob”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

From Middle High German obe, ob, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Compare English if.

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/

• Audio:

  (file)

ob

1. (subordinating) Introduces an indirect question, a doubt. if, whether.

   ob ... oder ― if ... or

   Ich weiß nicht, ob sie krank ist.

   I don't know if she's sick

   Hast du sie gefragt, ob sie kommt?

   Did you ask her if she's coming?

   Ob das wirklich wahr ist?

   Is it really true?

2. (conditional, obsolete, except in als ob) if, in case

A general trick to remember whether to use ob or wenn is that if whether could be used in the English sentence, then ob needs to be used in the German sentence.

From Middle High German obe, from Old High German oba, from Proto-Germanic *ub (“under”), from Proto-Indo-European *upó (“under, below”). Related with über, oben.

A chiefly Upper German word, pronounced with a short vowel in Alemannic areas and with a long vowel in Austro-Bavarian areas. In the north, the short vowel is from etymology 1, perhaps also reinforced by association with regional forms of auf (Central Franconian op, Low German up, op). The long vowel is standard in Obacht, beobachten.

• IPA^(key): /ɔp/ (German standard; Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /oːp/ (Austria; Bavaria)

ob

1. (formal, literary) on account of [with genitive or (rare) dative]

   Synonyms: angesichts, wegen

   • 2019, Editorial Staff, “Große Enttäuschung nach Abbruch vom Seifenkistenrennen”, in Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger‎^[1]:

     Viele Seifenkisten haben ob ihrer dünnen Räder nicht die Bodenhaftung eines normalen Autoreifens und verfügen nur über so genannte Stempelbremsen.

     Many soapbox cars, on account of their thin wheels, do not have the traction of a normal car tire and have only so-called spoon brakes at their disposal.

2. (archaic or dialectal) over, above, on [with dative]

   Synonym: über

   Antonyms: unter; (obsolete) nied, nid

• ob-
• obderennsisch
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber

• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Duden online
• “ob” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

From Proto-Italic *op, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí), Sanskrit अपि (ápi), Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬞𐬌 (aⁱpi), Old Persian [script needed] (apiy), and Old Armenian եւ (ew). Also related to English by.

The accusative is from the pre-PIE directional and the PIE direct object.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ob/, [ɔb]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ob/, [ɔb]

ob (+ accusative)

1. in the direction of, to, towards
2. on account of, according to, because of, due to, for (the purpose of)

   ob haec, ob hoc, ob ea, ob eam rem ― for this/that reason, because of this/that reason

   ob aliquam rem gratia ― give thanks for something

3. against; facing

• ob-

• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ob”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ob in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • I blame this in you; I censure you for this: hoc in te reprehendo (not ob eam rem)
    
• DIZIONARIO LATINO OLIVETTI

From Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), from Proto-Indo-European *e-, *ē- (“then, at that time”). Cognate with English if, West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef (“if, whether”), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef, if (“if”).

• IPA^(key): /op/

ob

1. if, whether

   Weess du, ob d'Apdikt muer op ass?

   Do you know if the pharmacy is open tomorrow?

ob f

1. Alternative form of aub

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /ob/

ob

1. I (first-person singular, nominative)
   • 1932, Arie de Jong, Leerboek der Wereldtaal, page 15:

     Ob it egivob ciles et magodis ot.

     I have given those children the same pictures myself.

From Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔu̯i (“two”). Cognate with Iu Mien i.

• IPA^(key): /ʔɒ˥/

ob

1. two

• Ernest E. Heimbach, White Hmong - English Dictionary (1979, SEAP Publications)