βρε

Greek

Etymology

Inherited from Byzantine Greek βρέ (bré), developed phonetically, from Byzantine Greek μρέ (mré), from Ancient Greek μωρέ (mōré), the vocative form of μωρός (mōrós, “moron”).[1] Doublet of μωρέ (moré), μρε (mre), μπρε (bre), ωρέ (oré), and ρε (re). See μωρέ (moré).
Or,[2] inherited from Byzantine Greek βρέ (bré), from Ottoman Turkish بره (bre) (Turkish bre), itself taken from the same Greek root.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈvɾe/, /vɾe/ (accented for emphasis or unaccented, pronounced together with the word that follows)

Interjection

βρε • (vre)

  1. (colloquial, informal) hey, eh, dude (a sort of vocative familiar call to a friend or acquaintance)
    Βρε παιδί μου, γιατί δε μ’ ακούς; ― Vre paidí mou, giatí de m’ akoús? ― Why won't you listen to me, (my) child?
    Βρε Γιώργο, για φώναξε τον πατέρα σου. ― Vre Giórgo, gia fónaxe ton patéra sou. ― Hey Giorgo, call your dad.
  2. (colloquial, informal, offensive) hey, oi, you (a sort of vocative familiar call to strangers and unfamiliar people to deliberately offend)
    Σε ποιον μιλάς έτσι, βρε κάθαρμα;
    Se poion milás étsi, vre kátharma?
    Who do you think you're talking to like that, you bastard?
    Άντε φύγε βρε παλιάνθρωπε! ― Ánte fýge vre paliánthrope! ― Get lost will you, you prick.
  3. (colloquial, informal) jeez, gosh, yikes, my, what (expressing surprise or bewilderment, often repeated)
    Βρε, βρε τι πάθαμε. ― Vre, vre ti páthame. ― Oh jeez, look what happened to us.
    Βρε τους αλήτες, που σπάσαν τα καταστήματα.
    Vre tous alítes, pou spásan ta katastímata.
    What bums they are, to have destroyed the shops.

Synonyms

References
  1. βρε - Babiniotis, Georgios (2010) Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας Etymologikó lexikó tis néas ellinikís glóssas [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek language] (in Greek), Athens: Lexicology Centre
  2. βρε - Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.
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