auto

Forms

auto m (plural auto's, diminutive autootje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French auto, a shortening of automobile.^[2][1][3] The French word was first an adjective “self-propelled” (1861) and was used as a noun only as a shortening of voiture automobile (“self-moving vehicle”) (1876); it is formed with the prefix auto- (“self-”) and mobile (“movable”) (see mobiel).^[2] The clipped French form dates from 1896 and caught on very quickly in Dutch.^[2]

The word is generally taken as a shortening of automobiel, but both were borrowed from French, the clipped form probably directly, as in English and German.^[2][3][4] The new invention found most support in France, and many Dutch words for car parts came from French, such as carburateur, carrosserie and radiateur.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective automobiel “self-propelled” is found in 1886, the plural automobiles in 1897 and automobiel as a noun in 1898.^[2] A newspaper of 12 July 1898 has auto's; the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal's first quotation, of 1899, describes a man who came to the start of a race in pouring rain with a small open automobile carriage for two.^[2][3][5]

Semantic evolution

In France auto later lost out to the older voiture, used for a car from 1893; in Belgium its Dutch equivalent wagen is not unusual as a purism, though most Belgian dialects say auto, like the Netherlands.^[2] The diminutive autootje is also used for toy cars and the small cars of a fairground ride.^[3] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal lists dozens of compounds, from ziekenauto to vrachtauto.^[3]

The word spread widely from Dutch: Indonesian auto and oto, oto in Javanese, Madurese and many other languages of Indonesia, Papiamentu outo, Sranan Tongo oto and Saramaccan otó.^[6][1]

Timeline

• 1886 – The adjective automobiel “self-propelled”.^[2]
• 1895 – Automobiele rijtuigen “automobile carriages”.^[2]
• 1897 – The plural noun automobiles.^[2]
• 1898 – Auto's in a newspaper of 12 July.^[2]
• 1899 – The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal's first quotation for auto.^[3][5]
• 1953 – Autootje for a fairground car.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A car, automobile: a motor vehicle with a body on three or more wheels.^[7][8][1]

Word family

• personenauto
• vrachtauto
• bestelauto
• brandweerauto
• politieauto
• ziekenauto
• lijkauto
• huurauto
• sportauto
• raceauto
• autobaan

Related words

• automobiel
• auto-
• mobiel
• wagen

Usage notes

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal noted in 1955 that the pronunciation of the first syllable as /oː/, at first the usual one, was going out of use;^[3][1] Wiktionary gives /ˈɑu̯.toː/ beside /ˈoː.toː/.^[3][1] Een auto van de zaak is a company car.^[8]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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 i 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. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
6. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
7. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
8. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers