to temper (iron)
—
brave
1 realization
Related shifts
| ID | Meaning 1 | Direction | Meaning 2 |
| NEW Realization 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Polysemy | |
| Language | Tigrinya | |
| Lexeme | täbʕe | |
| Meaning 1 | 'to be tempered (iron), to forge, pund iron; to be sharp, keen, pointed (knife)' | |
| Direction | ← | |
| Meaning 2 | 'to be virile, brave, courageous, to have a man's spirit' | |
| Reference | ||
| Comment | KT 1256. The development of the meaning is presumably different from that in Icelandic. The source meaning is that of "to be a man", hence "to be courageous, brave", hence the figurative use of "to be hardened (iron)" which gives rise to the meaning of "to be sharp (knife)". | |