allemaal

Forms

allemaal (indefinite pronoun and adverb, invariable)^[1][2] In speech it is often shortened to amaal.^[1] Southern dialects sometimes inflect it as allemalen.^[3]

Etymology

It is a remodelling of older altemaal, inherited from Middle Dutch altemale (“entirely; all together”), under the influence of ⟨alle⟩, the inflected form of the first part.^[4][1] The Middle Dutch word joins the intensifying al of aldus and aldaar to the phrase ⟨te male⟩ “at one time, together”, the preposition te with the dative of maal “time”.^[4][5][6] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal explains the loss of ⟨te⟩ by the model of allegaar beside ⟨altegader⟩, and Franck and Van Wijk make the same comparison.^[3][7] The same formation is Middle Low German altomale and German allzumal.^[8] German allemal (“always”) is a different formation, with the plural of the German word for “all”, meaning “all times”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch altemale is first recorded about 1265 in the life of Saint Lutgard from Brabant, meaning “entirely”: Lutgard altemale lost the strength of her senses.^[5][4] The sense “everyone, all of them” follows in the Rijmbijbel of 1285: si verwonnense al te male, “they defeated them all”.^[5][4]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used altemale for “entirely”, for “very” and, after a noun or pronoun, for “all together”.^[8][5] The form allemael appears in 1616, still meaning “entirely”, a use that the south kept.^[4][3] The modern sense “all persons or things” is recorded in 1784.^[4][3]

In speech the word came to stand on its own as a pronoun, as in de ergste van allemaal, “the worst of all” (1884), and in elliptical phrases of scorn such as wind, allemaal wind, “wind, nothing but wind” (1784).^[3] In the Kempen dag allemaal was the usual greeting to a group (1936).^[3] A separate regional use, “continually”, is recorded from 1626.^[3]

Dutch passed the word to Negerhollands (allemaal, alma), Berbice Dutch (alma) and Sranan Tongo (alamala), and Afrikaans has almal.^[9][1]

Timeline

• c. 1265 – Middle Dutch altemale “entirely” is recorded in Brabant.^[5][4]
• 1285 – Al te male “all of them” appears in the Rijmbijbel.^[5][4]
• 1287 – The pronoun use is dated.^[10]
• 1616 – The form allemael is recorded.^[4][3]
• 1784 – Allemaal “all persons or things” is recorded.^[4][3]
• 1936 – The greeting dag allemaal is noted in the Kempen.^[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. All of them, all of us, everyone: We gaan morgen allemaal naar het strand.^[2][1]
2. Everything, all of it: Ze heeft de taart allemaal opgegeten.^[2][3]
3. (informal) Nothing but: Dat zijn allemaal smoesjes.^[2]

Adverb

1. Invites a full list: Wie waren er allemaal op het feest?^[1]

Determiner

1. (informal) All sorts of: Hij vertelde allemaal rare verhalen.^[1]

Related words

• altemaal
• allegaar
• helemaal
• al
• maal

Usage notes

Niet allemaal tegelijk!, “not all at once!”, tells people to stop talking at the same time, and is said ironically when nobody answers a call to do something.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
5. ^ a b c d e f Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen