Korb

Etymology

From Middle High German korp, from Old High German korb, chorp, from Proto-Germanic *kurbaz, possibly a borrowing from Latin corbis. Compare Dutch korf, English corf, Danish kurv, Swedish korg, Icelandic karfa.

The sense “rejection of a (romantic) request” is formed back from the expressions einen Korb geben (“to so reject”), einen Korb kriegen (“to be so rejected”). These derive from certain older customs, which involved a bottomless basket as a symbol of the end or inexistence of love. The further origin of this symbol seems uncertain, though it has been plausibly related to the apparent mediaeval practice of pulling a secret visitor up to one’s window in a basket. Compare the same in Dutch een korf krijgen and Swedish få korgen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔrp/, /kɔɐ̯p/

• Audio

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Noun

Korb m (genitive Korbs or Korbes, plural Körbe, diminutive Körbchen n or Körblein n)

1. basket; creel
2. (aviation) nacelle
3. (law) a set of laws around a certain theme
4. (informal) rejection of a request, typically romantic, such as a proposal or asking for a date

Further reading

• Korb in Duden online