terve

Meaning

Verb

• To fall; be thrown down.
• To dash down; cast; throw: in combination with over; to overthrow; overturn.
• To turn down or back; roll or fold over.

Origin

• From Middle English terven, tervien, from Old English *tyrfian ("to cast down, tumble, fall") (in compound getyrfan, getyrfian, getorfian), from Proto-Germanic *tirbijaną, *tarbijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- ("to wind, twist"). Cognate with Old High German zerben ("to spin, rotate"). Also in compound in Middle English overterven, in toppe overterve > topsytervy > English topsyturvy. Compare tervy, tirfe.