belegeren

Forms

belegeren^[1] Past tense belegerde, past participle belegerd.^[2]

Etymology

According to De Vries & De Tollenaere it is borrowed from German belegern, the form used by Luther and already found in Middle High German, which German replaced with ⟨belagern⟩ in the 18th century;^[3][4] Van der Sijs also gives the German verb as its source.^[3][4] Others explain it as formed in from Dutch be- + legeren, on leger in the sense “camp, armed force”.^[5][1][6][2] Middle Low German belēgeren meant “to encamp” and also already “to besiege”.^[5][7] Franck–Van Wijk say the verb took the place of the older one under the influence of ⟨leger⟩ “camp”, later “army”: Middle Dutch said beleggen or beliggen, whence the noun beleg.^[8][5][9]

Middle Dutch belēgheren “to draw up an exact list” has a separate source, lēgher (“list, register”).^[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first recorded in 1526, in the Liesveldt Bible at 2 Kings 24:10.^[3] Franck–Van Wijk and De Vries date it from Kiliaan.^[8][5]

Semantic evolution

The WNT defines it as encamping round a fortified place in order to take it; a quotation of 1625 sets a besieged city beside two armies lying near each other.^[2] De belegerden are the garrison of a besieged fortress (1859).^[2] Figurative use is found by 1629, of a breast besieged and shot at by fear and cares, and in 1896 the verb also meant to play the board game of siege.^[2] Today it also means to crowd round someone.^[10]

English beleaguer came from it, from 1589 according to De Vries, and Etymonline traces it to the wars in Flanders;^[5][11][12] Danish belejre, Norwegian beleire and Swedish belägra are from Dutch or Low German.^[5][11][12]

Timeline

• 1526 – The verb is first recorded, in the Liesveldt Bible.^[3]
• 1589 – English beleaguer is recorded.^[5]
• 1625 – A quotation speaks of a besieged city.^[2]
• 1629 – The first figurative use is recorded.^[2]
• 1896 – The verb is used of playing the siege game.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. To besiege: to surround a town or fortress with an army to force it to surrender.^[10][1][6]
2. To crowd round someone or something; to mob.^[10]

Word family

• belegeraar
• belegering

Related words

• leger
• legeren
• beleg
• beleggen
• English beleaguer

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 65
4. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
5. ^ a b c d e f g Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
7. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)