brandewijn

Forms

brandewijn m (plural brandewijnen, diminutive brandewijntje n)^[1] An older spelling is brandwijn.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch brantwijn, a compound from Dutch branden (“to burn; to distil”) + wijn (“wine”), with the verb in its sense “to distil”.^[3][1][4] The original form was ⟨(ge)brande wijn⟩ “burnt, distilled wine”; the WNT says the prefix ⟨ge-⟩ was lost early, perhaps first in Holland, though the full form, written apart, survived into the 18th century.^[3][2] Franck–Van Wijk argue that if the Dutch word is older than the German one, the participle without ⟨ge-⟩ points to a Frisian–Holland origin, while Van Haeringen notes that the first part could just as well be the bare verb stem, as in ⟨breikous⟩ and ⟨snijboon⟩.^[5][6][7] Middle Dutch also had forms with metathesis, barnwiin (1464), bernewin and berndewijn (16th century).^[3][8]

The same compound is Middle Low German bernewîn and brandewîn (whence Swedish brännvin), Middle High German brantwîn (1360) and German Branntwein.^[3][7][5] Whether the German forms were borrowed from Middle Dutch is not clear: De Vries finds the word apparently Dutch, while Van Veen & Van der Sijs consider an origin in Germany possible.^[3][7][9][8] The West Frisian word is brandewyn.^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch brantwijn is first recorded in the first half of the 14th century.^[3][10][9] According to the WNT the name appeared in the Low Countries at about the same time as in Germany, and at first it meant a spirit really distilled from wine, sold as a medicine by apothecaries.^[2]

Semantic evolution

By the 16th century brandy was also drunk, and when spirits came to be distilled from wheat, rye, barley, rice, molasses, potatoes and fruit, the name passed to them too;^[2] jenever was korenbrandewijn “grain brandy”.^[2] In 1568 a list of wine duties still names it ghebranden wyn, in two words, and by 1601 the plural brandewynen named different kinds.^[2] The WNT notes that the plain word had come to mean mainly the true wine brandy, sold as Fransche brandewijn, in the south often just Fransche.^[2] Kiliaan explained it as “burning wine”, because it easily catches fire.^[2] Today it is any strong spirit distilled from wine, grain or the like.^[11][12]

The Dutch word went abroad in the 17th century: English took it as brandy-wine (1620s), shortened to brandy in the 1650s.^[13][3][2] French brandevin is dated to the 17th century by the WNT and to the 18th by De Vries.^[2][7] Danish brændevin also comes from it, and Swedish brännvin from Dutch or Low German.^[14] In America it was borrowed by Mahican (p'natt'weñ) and in South America by Kari'na (palantewin) and Lokono (barandina), and it survives as Afrikaans brandewyn.^[1][14]

Timeline

• 1301–1350 – Middle Dutch brantwijn is first recorded.^[3][10][9]
• 1464 – The metathesised form barnwiin is recorded.^[3][8]
• 1568 – A list of excise duties names ghebranden wyn.^[2]
• 1601 – The plural brandewynen is used for kinds of spirit.^[2]
• 1620s – English brandy-wine is borrowed from the Dutch word.^[13]
• 1650s – The shortened English form brandy appears.^[13]

Meanings

Noun

1. brandy, a strong spirit distilled from wine, grain or other fermented liquids.^[11][12][1]
2. In a narrower sense, a spirit distilled from (white) wine.^[12][2]
3. A kind or brand of brandy.^[12]
4. A glass or portion of brandy.^[12]

Word family

• brandewijndrinker
• brandewijnkroeg
• vruchtenbrandewijn

Related words

• branden
• wijn
• jenever
• English brandy
• German Branntwein

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 g h i j k l m 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 e f g h i j 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
4. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 85
9. ^ a b c Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
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 Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ a b c d e Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
13. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)