brave to temper (iron) 1 realization
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)".