Etymologically
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af

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Pronunciation

Forms

af[1] The dialect form of is the only or usual one in the Veluwe, the Achterhoek, Overijssel, Drenthe and Groningen.[2][3] The older long form ave was still used in the 16th century and is obsolete since the 17th.[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch af (oldest ⟨ave⟩), inherited from Old Dutch ava, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ab, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ab (“away from”), which the EWN writes ⟨*aba⟩.[5][1][6] The same word is Old Saxon af, Old High German aba (modern German ab), Old Frisian of (modern West Frisian ôf), Old English of (modern English of and English off), Old Norse af and Gothic 𐌰𐍆 (af).[5][3][7] Outside Germanic it matches Latin ab, Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó), Sanskrit अप (ápa) and Hittite appa, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away from”).[5][8][7]

The long form survives in averechts.[5][9] In Old Dutch ⟨ava⟩ was still a preposition, but Middle Dutch used it only as an adverb: its place as a preposition was taken by van, which the WNT derives from a compound of ⟨af⟩ and ⟨aan⟩.[5][4][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded as an adverb of place in the Old Dutch glosses of the Lex Salica, of the 8th century.[11][12] The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century have it once as a preposition, aua thi “away from you”, and also as the prefix af-.[5][6][4]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used ave, af and of side by side, often in the same text, with of common in Holland; the form af appears from 1230.[10][5] It was frequent in pronominal adverbs, hier af and daer af where modern Dutch has hiervan and daarvan.[10]

The sense “finished, at an end” first appears in 1618, in ons kluwen is schier of, “our ball of yarn is nearly done”, and in wy moetender oock of, “we too must go”, of dying.[5][4] From the same sense came af “completed, perfect”, said of work without a fault.[4][13] In Dutch Jewish usage af was said of a courtship that had been broken off.[14]

Indonesian took over af pabrik, “ex factory”, of a price without tax, and Ambonese Malay uses af for a relationship that has ended.[15] Many Dutch verbs with af- were borrowed into Indonesian too, such as afdeling and afdruk.[15]

Timeline

  • 701–800 – First record, in the Lex Salica glosses.[11]
  • 901–1000 – Aua thi “away from you” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[5][6]
  • 1230 – Middle Dutch af is first recorded.[5]
  • 1540 – Ave is still in use.[4]
  • 1618 – First record of the sense “finished”.[5][4]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. off, away from a point: De vogel vloog van het dak af.[13][1]
  2. From a point on, with van: van jongs af, from childhood.[13]
  3. Separated or rid of: Ik ben eindelijk van die verkoudheid af.[13]
  4. down, downward: Ze rende de trap af.[13]
  5. After op: towards, straight at: Hij liep op de deur af.[13]

Adjective

  1. (predicative) finished, done: Is je verslag al af?[13][1]
  2. (predicative) Worn out.[13]
  3. (games) Out, no longer in play.[1]

Word family

  • afbreuk
  • afleiden
  • aftrekken
  • afkeer
  • afbakenen
  • afbijten
  • afbreken
  • afbraak
  • afbrokkelen
  • afduwen
  • afdwalen
  • averechts

Usage notes

Af en toe means “now and then”, and af en aan “to and fro”.[1][13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  3. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  6. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  9. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  10. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  11. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  12. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  14. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
  15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)