belfern

== German == === Alternative forms === belfzen (since the 16th century) belfen (since the 18th century) === Etymology === Unknown. Probably from bellen (“to bark”) with the iterative suffix +‎ -ern. The -f- is explainable either as a phonetic intensification, onomatopoeia, or by influence of other dog-related sound vocabulary (Middle High German baffen, German kläffen); compare also the pair gellen and gelfern, gelfen. Attested since the first half of the 16th century (earliest attestation given below). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɛlfɐn/ Hyphenation: bel‧fern === Verb === belfern (weak, third-person singular present belfert, past tense belferte, past participle gebelfert, auxiliary haben) (dated, colloquial, also figuratively) to bark Synonym: bellen ==== Conjugation ==== === Further reading === “belfern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache “belfern” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961. “belfern” in Duden online https://fwb-online.de/lemma/belfern.s.3v