dette

English

Noun

dette (countable and uncountable, plural dettes)

1. Obsolete form of debt.
   • 1579, Plutarke of Chæronea [i.e., Plutarch], “Agis and Cleomenes”, in Thomas North, transl., The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romaines, […], London: […] Richard Field, →OCLC, page 851:

     But in deede, the ſecret cauſe that brought Ageſilaus to conſent vnto this practiſe, was the greatnes of his dette which he ought, of the which he hoped to be diſcharged by chaunging of the ſtate and common wealth.

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈd̥ɛd̥ə]

Pronoun

dette

1. neuter singular of denne

French

Alternative forms

• debte, dête (obsolete)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French debte (with silent b), from Old French dete, from Vulgar Latin *depta, from Latin dēbita, plural of dēbitum. Doublet of débit.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛt/

• Audio:

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Noun

dette f (plural dettes)

1. debt

   Coordinate term: créance

Usage notes

• While both dette and créance correspond to English debt, French dette is seen from the perspective of the borrower (money they owe), whereas créance is seen from the perspective of the lender (money owed to them).

Derived terms

• endetter

Further reading

• “dette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdet.te/
• Rhymes: -ette
• Hyphenation: dét‧te

Adjective

dette

1. feminine plural of detto (“known, aforementioned”)

Participle

dette f pl

1. feminine plural of detto (“(having) said”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdet.te/, (traditional) /ˈdɛt.te/
• Rhymes: -ette, (traditional) -ɛtte
• Hyphenation: dét‧te, (traditional) dèt‧te

Verb

dette

1. third-person singular past historic of dare

   Synonym: diede

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dett, det
• (rare) debte, deatte, debt

Etymology

From Old French dete, from Latin dēbita, from the plural of dēbitum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛt(ə)/

Noun

dette (plural dettes)

1. Goods or possessions owed to or due to another person; a debt.
2. The state of debt; the condition one is when one has a debt or monetary obligation.
3. Something which one is obliged to do (by law, society, or belief):
   1. Sex (i.e. as something which one's partner requires of oneself).
   2. Death (i.e. as something which the nature of humanity requires of oneself)
   3. (rare) The requirement to fight back against one who has hurt oneself.
4. Something that one deserves (negatively); one's fate or punishment.
5. (theology) Sin; acts which go against the dictates of a higher power.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Matheu 6:9-14, page 3r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     and þus ȝe ſchulen pꝛeie / Oure fadir þat art in heuenes .· halewid be þi name / þi kyngdom come to / be þi wille doon in erþe .· as in heuene / ȝyue to vs þis dai oure bꝛeed ouer oþir ſubſtaunce / and foꝛȝyue to vs oure dettis .· as we foꝛȝyuen to oure dettouris / and lede vs not in to temptacioun .· but delyuere vs fro yuele amen […]

     You should pray like this: "Our father that's in heaven, your name will be sanctified; / your Kingdom will come; your will will be done on Earth, like in heaven. / Give us our bread over other substances, / forgive us of our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, / and don't bring us into temptation, but instead save us from evil. Amen."

6. (law, rare) A legal action in order to collect a money owed to one.

Derived terms

• dettour
• detty

Descendants

• English: debt
• Scots: det, debt

References

• “dette, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-1-10.

Adjective

dette (rare)

1. Having a debt or monetary obligation or having people owe debt towards you.
2. Appropriate, fitting, seemly; meshing with societal standards.
3. Required, needful, necessary; not optional.
4. Fitting, fair or deserving; according to justice.

References

• “dette, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-1-10.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French dete, from Latin dēbita, plural of dēbitum.

Noun

dette f (plural dettes)

1. (Jersey) debt

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse þetta.

Pronoun

dette

1. this (neuter of denne)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse detta.

Verb

dette

1. to fall

References

• “dette” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²dɛtːə/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse þetta.

Pronoun

dette

1. this (neuter of denne)

Etymology 2

Verb

dette (present tense dett, past tense datt, past participle dotte, passive infinitive dettast, present participle dettande, imperative dett)

1. Alternative form of detta

References

• “dette” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.