beter

Forms

beter (comparative of goed; inflected betere; superlative best)^[2][3] The old adverb bet, Middle Dutch also bat, “better, more”, survives in betweter and betovergrootvader.^[4][5][6]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch beter, inherited from Old Dutch betiro, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, inherited from Proto-Germanic *batiza-.^[2][1][7] The same comparative is Old Saxon betera, Old High German bezziro (modern German besser), Old Frisian betera (modern West Frisian better), Old English betera (modern English better), Old Norse betri and Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌶𐌰 (batiza), with the superlatives betst and 𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (batists) beside them.^[2][4][8] In all the Germanic languages it serves as the comparative of Proto-Germanic *gōda- “good”.^[2]

It is the comparative of a root ⟨*bat-⟩ “good”, which also lies behind baat and baten, and with lengthened grade boete.^[2][4][6] Pokorny, followed by De Vries, compared an Old Indic adjective meaning “auspicious, good”, but Franck and Van Wijk think this unlikely.^[5][4] Beside the adjective Germanic had an adverb ⟨*batiz⟩, whose forms without umlaut, Middle Dutch ⟨bat⟩ and Old High German ⟨baz⟩, Van Haeringen explains by early loss of the ⟨-i⟩ in such adverbs.^[4][9][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch betera appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century: betera ist ginatha thina ouir lif, “your mercy is better than life”.^[7][10] Around 1100 the Egmond Willeram has bezzere sint thine spune themo wine “your breasts are better than wine”.^[7] Middle Dutch beter is recorded in Ghent in 1253.^[2][11]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch charters beter often meant “more, worth more”: pledges were checked to see whether they were beter dan tgelt, worth more than the money lent on them, and den derden penninc beter was a third more (1299).^[11][12] Beter tijt, like beter coop, meant cheaper times (1460).^[12] Used as a noun, iemands betere was his superior (1340), and doer sbeters wille “for the better” is found in 1290.^[12][11]

Iemands beter ik is one's better, moral self.^[3] The sense “recovered, well again” is found in 1692, when a count is described as beter zijnde after a terrible attack of illness.^[3] Modern Dutch also uses it for a certain level of quality or class: de betere kringen.^[13]

The word went into Negerhollands (bēter), Berbice Dutch (betre “better; to improve”) and Sranan (betre “better; to recover”); Aukan and Saramaccan took it from Dutch or English.^[14][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch betera appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[7][10]
• c. 1100 – The Willeram has bezzere.^[7]
• 1253 – Middle Dutch beter is recorded in Ghent.^[2][11]
• 1290 – Doer sbeters wille “for the better” is recorded.^[11]
• 1299 – Den derden penninc beter “a third more” appears.^[11][12]
• 1692 – The sense “recovered from illness” is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. better, comparative of goed: Dit boek is beter dan het vorige.^[13][1]
2. Recovered, well again after an illness: Ben je alweer beter?^[13][1]
3. Of a certain level, superior, as in de betere restaurants.^[13][1]

Adverb

1. Better, comparative of goed and wel: Ze zingt beter dan ik.^[15][1]

Word family

• beteren
• beterschap
• verbeteren

Related words

• best
• baat
• boete
• English better
• German besser

Usage notes

The proverb beter benijd dan beklaagd says that it is better to be envied for one's wealth than pitied for one's poverty.^[13] Des te beter means “so much the better”.^[13]

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 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 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 Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 69
7. ^ a b c d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
9. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
10. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
11. ^ 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
12. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
13. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org