An archaic or variant spelling of 'dearth,' meaning a scarcity or shortage of something.
Variant spelling of 'dearth,' from Old English 'deore' (dear, costly). The variant 'derth' appears in Middle English texts where spelling was less standardized. Modern 'dearth' is the standard form.
Old English spelling was wild—'derth' and 'dearth' are the same word, and you'll find both in medieval manuscripts because people hadn't agreed on how to spell yet!
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