buit

Forms

buit m (uncountable, no diminutive)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably borrowed from Middle Low German būte (“what is to be shared out; exchange, booty”), a derivative of būten (“to exchange, share out, take as booty”).^[2][3][4][1] Middle High German biute (German Beute) was also taken from the Middle Low German noun, and Old Norse býta (“to exchange, divide”), West Frisian bût and Swedish byte belong to the same group.^[2][3][4] Middle Dutch had the verb būten (“to exchange; take as booty”) from 1488.^[2][5] Franck–Van Wijk think the verb is the older word, with the original sense “to share out, exchange”, and De Vries & De Tollenaere start from “to share out”, since booty was divided among the warriors.^[4][6]

Its further origin is uncertain.^[2][7] The EWN thinks it possible that the verb is a form of a Germanic ⟨*bi-ūtan-⟩ “to give out”, from Proto-Germanic *bi (see be-) and the adverb uit;^[2][3] De Vries calls this explanation, which Kluge–Mitzka thought possible, very problematic.^[2][3] A link with Old Irish búaid (“victory”) and Welsh budd (“profit”) remains obscure, though a loan from Celtic is not wholly excluded;^[2][3] De Vries rejects it because the word appears only in the Middle Ages.^[2][3] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal suggests the word may first have belonged to the “freebooting” inhabitants of the North Sea coast.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

An antedating added to the EWN finds Middle Dutch buyt “booty” in a text of 1467–1480.^[2] The next records are buyt om buyt in 1558, in a phrase of exchange, and de Buyt die wy crijghen, “the booty we get”, in 1564.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Two senses stand side by side in the early records: “exchange”, which Van Veen & Van der Sijs date to 1567, and “what has been taken from the enemy”, which they date to 1573, the year of Plantijn's dictionary.^[7][9][8] The sense “exchange” survived only in Groningen, in iemand buut bijden “to offer someone a swap” and buut om buut “an even swap”, and in a Drenthe game buit of slagen.^[8][4] The noun buyteringe “theft” is recorded in 1542.^[2]

From the spoils of war the word was extended to goods taken by force or trickery (1611) and to a hunter's or animal's prey.^[8][10] Buit of slagen “booty or blows” summed up the good and bad chances of a fight, and Winschoten's sailors' dictionary of 1681 has it beside buitgeld, the money from sold booty shared among the crew.^[8][11] French butin and English booty were borrowed from the Dutch or German word;^[2][12] English booty is recorded from the mid-15th century.^[2][12] Danish bytte and Norwegian bytte were taken from Dutch or Low German.^[13]

Timeline

• 1467–1480 – Middle Dutch buyt “booty” is recorded.^[2]
• 1488 – The Middle Dutch verb buten “to exchange” is recorded.^[2][5]
• 1542 – Buyteringe “theft” is recorded.^[2]
• 1558 – Buyt om buyt is recorded.^[2]
• 1564 – De Buyt die wy crijghen “the booty we get” is recorded.^[2]
• 1573 – Plantijn's dictionary glosses buyt with French butin.^[8][9]
• 1681 – Winschoten lists buit of slagen and buitgeld.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. booty, loot: what has been taken by theft, trickery or violence, especially in war.^[10][1]
2. prey, a hunter's or animal's catch.^[10][14][1]

Word family

• buitmaken
• uitbuiten
• krijgsbuit
• oorlogsbuit
• jachtbuit

Related words

• English booty
• French butin
• German Beute

Usage notes

De buit is binnen is said when one has got what one was after.^[10]

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 m n o p q r 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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 90
7. ^ a b Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
8. ^ a b c d e f 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
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b Winschoten, Wigardus à (1681), Seeman: behelsende een grondige uitlegging van de Neederlandse konst- en spreekwoorden, voor soo veel die uit de seevaart sijn ontleend, Leiden
12. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org