néz

Forms

néz^[1] Old and dialect forms include níz, nyiz and nöz.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is a derivative of a stem ⟨né-⟩ inherited from the Finno-Ugric period, inherited from Proto-Uralic *näke- (“to see, look”), with a Hungarian suffix.^{[2][3][5][6][1]} The cognates are Mansi ńäwl- (“to become visible”), Khanty niw- (“to be visible”), Udmurt naal- (“to look after, look at”), Erzya ńeje- (“to see”), Moksha ńäje- (“to see”), Finnish nähdä (“to see, notice”) and Northern Sami niegâdit (“to dream”).^[3][2] In Sami the sense went from “to see” to “to see in a dream” and “to dream”.^[2][5]

The consonant inside the Finno-Ugric stem became a vowel in Hungarian, as in nyúz and szőr.^[3][7][6] The final -z is a frequentative suffix expressing duration, as in hoz and vonz.^[2][3][6] The forms with a short vowel are secondary, though probably old.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in the Jókai Codex, written after 1372 and copied about 1448: neʒe, “looked”, of someone looking at the image of Saint Francis; the sense is “to look at, watch”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

TESz derives all the later senses from “to look at”, some of them under the influence of preverbs.^[2] The Jókai Codex already has “to contemplate, delight in the sight of something”, and the Vienna Codex (after 1416) “to examine, consider”, “to look to someone for help”, “to watch idly” and “to have regard for”.^[2][3] Later came “to fall to someone” (1519), “to concern” (1532), kinéz “to drive away with a look” (1556), “to look for, choose” (after 1704), elnéz “to forgive, overlook” (1752) and “to face in a direction” (1757).^[3][2]

The adverbial participle nézve became a postposition, “regarding, as to”, in 1561.^[8] The derivatives nézés and néző are early;^[6] nézelődik (1792) and nézet “view, opinion” (1793) belong to the language reform.^[6] In the dialects néz also means “to visit”, “to choose” and “to wait for someone”, as in rám néz ez a munka “this job awaits me”.^[9][10]

Timeline

• after 1372 (copy of about 1448) – neʒe “looked” in the Jókai Codex, and the sense “to contemplate”.^[2][3]
• after 1416 (copy of about 1450) – nézi, and the senses “to examine” and “to look to someone for help”, in the Vienna Codex.^[2][3]
• 1519 – the sense “to fall to someone”.^[2]
• 1532 – the sense “to concern”.^[2]
• 1561 – nézve as a postposition “regarding”.^[8]
• 1752 – elnéz “to overlook, forgive”.^[3]
• 1793 – nézet “view, opinion”.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To look at, watch: to direct one's eyes at someone or something: Nézd, milyen szép a naplemente!^[11][1]
2. To look in a direction: Az ablakon nézett ki.^[11]
3. To look in a certain way, so that a feeling shows: mérgesen néz.^[11]
4. To take someone or something for something else; to regard as: Minek nézel engem?^[11]
5. (colloquial) To look for, choose something to buy: Cipőt nézek magamnak.^[11][9]
6. To face, overlook, of a building or window: A szoba a kertre néz.^[1][9]

Word family

• nézeget
• nézelődik
• nézet
• nézés
• nézve
• néző

Related words

• Finnish nähdä

Usage notes

The adverbial participle nézve is used as a postposition, “regarding, as to”: rám nézve “as far as I am concerned”.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 1016
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
4. ^ Kiss, Géza (1952), Ormánysági szótár, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
5. ^ a b Lakó, György (ed.) (1967–1978), A magyar szókészlet finnugor elemei, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 470
6. ^ a b c d e f Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
7. ^ Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1071
8. ^ a b c Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 1017
9. ^ a b c Bálint, Sándor (1957), Szegedi szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
10. ^ Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság
11. ^ a b c d e Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu