Etymologically
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als

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Pronunciation

  • /ɑ(l)s/, [ɑ(ɫ)s][1]

Forms

als[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch alse, a weakened form of also, inherited from Old Dutch alsō (“as, just as”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *allswā (“completely so”), an old compound of al and zo in which the first element only strengthened the second.[2][1][3] The same compound is Old Saxon alsō, Old High German alsō (modern German als), Old Frisian alsa (modern West Frisian as) and Old English ealswā (modern English also and English as).[2][4][5]

When speakers stressed the first syllable for emphasis, the second syllable lost its stress and weakened to a schwa, which then fell away: the old form weakened to the Middle Dutch one and finally to the modern conjunction.[3] The longer form was the usual one in Middle Dutch, and the short one is found from the 13th century.[2][3] The conjunction and the adverb alzo were thus once one word, set apart by the place of the stress and by the influence of the simple adverb on that compound.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch also “as, like” is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, for instance in also stuppe that foruuirpet uuint “like dust that the wind scatters”.[2] Middle Dutch alse appears in the Limburg Servaas legend of about 1200, first as a conjunction of comparison, “as”.[6][7]

Semantic evolution

According to the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, the comparative use, “as, like”, developed first from the meaning of zo.[3] Thirteenth-century texts already show the whole range of later uses: “as if”, “when”, “at the time that”, “if” and even “although”.[6] In Middle Dutch als could still be an adverb, where modern Dutch uses zo or alzo again.[3]

After a comparative the standard language wants dan, but groter als is common in informal speech.[8][9] In Surinamese Dutch als also means “whether”, possibly a semantic loan from Sranan Tongo efu.[1]

The word passed into Afrikaans as, Negerhollands a, es and older as, and Berbice Dutch asi; in Petjoh als means “as for, concerning”.[10][1]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Old Dutch also “as” is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2][11]
  • c. 1200 – Middle Dutch alse appears in Limburg.[7][6]
  • 13th century – The short form als is recorded.[2]
  • 1657 – A comparison with als alone: Ick grouwel voor krackeelen, Als voor ontstelde veelen “I loathe quarrels as I do untuned fiddles”.[3]
  • 1884 – The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal records dialect als te “all too”.[3]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. as, like: introduces a comparison: Zij zingt als een merel.[8][1]
  2. (informal, proscribed) than, after a comparative or anders: Hij is ouder als ik.[8][9]
  3. As, in the role of: Zij werkt als verpleegster.[8][9]
  4. when, whenever: Als het regent, blijven we binnen.[8][1]
  5. if, on condition that: Als je opschiet, haal je de bus nog.[8][1]
  6. (Suriname) Whether.[1]

Word family

  • alzo
  • English as
  • German als

Usage notes

Older Dutch had a second als, the genitive of al, meaning “entirely”; it survives only in dialect als te for al te “all too”.[3][12] Als de hemel naar beneden valt, hebben we allemaal een blauwe hoed is a retort to someone who keeps saying “if”.[8] ALS is also the Dutch abbreviation for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  6. ^ a b c 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
  7. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  9. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  11. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  12. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org