adv.
Cl, Pat, WA derfly; WA derfely
'boldly; fiercely; quickly' (Modern English )
PGmc Ancestor
*derƀ-
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
djarfr (adj.) ‘courageous, aggressive, dauntless; heedless, impudent', djarfliga (adv.) 'bravely, boldly, daringly, dauntlessly; rashly, precipitously, impudently; without reservation; roundly, immoderately'
(ONP djarfr (adj.), djarfliga (adv.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
Far djarvur, Icel djarfur, Norw djerv, Dan djerv, Sw djärv
OE Cognate
cp. deorfan (pret. dearf) ‘to work, labour; be in danger or trouble’
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
C1ac
(C3)
MED’s senses (1) and (2) (‘boldly (etc.)’, ‘fiercely (etc.)’) are predominantly N and E; (3) (‘cruelly, painfully, miserably, wretchedly’) is also found in the AB group (see further McGee 505–7).
Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus
Gaw 2334; Cl 632, 1641; Pat 110; WA *2489, 2942, 3006
Gaw 2334 was originally read as dernely by Madden, but altered in his ‘Corrections and Additions’; followed by Morris and all subsequent editors. Morris (text and footnote) suggests that Gaw 1188 dernly should also be read deru-, but he has had no followers. TPD read derfly at 2489 (for MS A derf), following the D MS.