bang

Forms

bang (comparative banger, superlative bangst)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch banghe, formed from be- and the adverb anghe (“narrowly, oppressively”), so originally “in a cramped way”.^[2][3][4] ⟨Anghe⟩ was the adverb of the adjective eng “narrow”; it had no umlaut, unlike the adjective.^[2][4] Franck–Van Wijk explain the new form by phrases such as ⟨het doet hem anghe⟩ “it oppresses him”, in which the isolated adverb was replaced by ⟨be anghe⟩.^[4] The same formation is Middle Low German bange and Middle High German bange (modern German bang), oldest in Central and Low German, and West Frisian bang.^[2][4] The base goes back to Proto-Germanic *anguz (“narrow”), the source also of angst.^[2][1]

The Zaan dialect still had the simple ⟨ang⟩ “afraid”, as Frisian has ⟨eang⟩.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch banghe is recorded about 1350, meaning “dreadful, frightening”, and only as an adverb in impersonal phrases such as het doet hem bange “it distresses him” and het gaet bange “things go badly”.^[2][5][6] A Holland text of about 1470 says that love made him wee ende banghe “pain and anguish”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The meaning moved from “oppressive, cramped” through “oppressed and therefore anxious” to “afraid”.^[2] The early modern phrases mij is bange “I feel anxious” and iets valt mij bang “something weighs on me” show the word on its way to an adjective, still predicative.^[7] By 1642–1650 bang is used of people as “anxious, afraid” and of things as “too tight, cramped”, and in Zeeland and Flanders het is bang could mean “the air is close”.^[2][7]

Comparisons for great fear are old: zo bang als een wezel “as scared as a weasel” and als de dood zijn voor “to be terrified of”.^[8] Van der Sijs derives Danish bange and Norwegian bange from Dutch or Low German;^[9][1] South African English has bang “afraid”, Afrikaans has bang, and the word also went into Negerhollands and Berbice Dutch.^[9][1]

Timeline

• c. 1350 – Middle Dutch banghe “frightening” is first recorded.^[2][6]
• c. 1480 – The adverb bangelic “oppressively”.^[2]
• 1642 – Bang “oppressed and anxious”.^[2]
• 1650 – Bang “afraid”.^[2]
• 1933 – The noun bang “fear” in bang hebben.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. afraid, scared: ze is bang voor honden, she is afraid of dogs.^[10][11][1]
2. Worried, anxious that something may happen: ik ben bang dat het gaat regenen, I'm afraid it will rain.^[11][1]
3. Timid, fearful by nature.^[10][11]
4. Frightening, causing fear: een bange nacht, a night of fear.^[10][11]

Word family

• bangbroek
• bangelijk
• bangerik
• bangheid
• bangig
• bangmakerij
• doodsbang
• bangerd
• bangebroek

Related words

• angst
• eng
• engte
• German bang

Usage notes

Ik ben bang dat … in the sense “I'm sorry to say that …” is a loan translation of English I'm afraid that.^[12] A separate word bang!, imitating the sound of a hard blow or a shot, is recorded from 1844; it is imitative, like English bang, and Van der Sijs gives it as a loan from English.^[2][6] The regional noun bang “fear”, as in bang hebben, grew out of the adjective.^[7]

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. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
7. ^ a b c d 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
8. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
10. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b c d Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale