casseren

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch casseren, borrowed from Old French casser (“to destroy, break; to annul”), with the verb suffix -eren.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Van Veen & Van der Sijs take the French verb from Latin quassō (“to shake violently, batter, shatter”), and compare concasseur;^[4][6] Etymonline traces it instead to Late Latin cassō (“to annul”), from Latin cassus (“void, empty”).^[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Van der Sijs dates the word to 1290.^[5][4] The oldest record in the Early Middle Dutch Dictionary is from Ghent in 1297, where it means to annul, make invalid or put out of force, as a legal term; a text of the count of Holland's chancery follows in 1299.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch it was used of deeds and other acts, and also of soldiers, in the sense “to discharge”;^[2] Kiliaan glosses kasseren both for annulling a will and for disbanding soldiers.^[2] The WNT has the sense “to annul a decision, decree or judgment” from 1494.^[3] From 1581 it also meant “to remove from office”, of officers, and by extension to discharge troops.^[3] In modern Dutch it is a legal term for quashing a judgment.^[7]

English cashier “to dismiss from office” was borrowed from it in the 1590s, and Maltese keċċa “to dismiss” comes from the English word.^[6][8]

Timeline

• 1290 – The verb is first recorded.^[5][4]
• 1297 – A Ghent text uses it in the sense “to annul”.^[1]
• 1488 – A text speaks of letters that were annulled.^[2]
• 1494 – The WNT's first quotation, on annulled privileges.^[3]
• 1581 – The sense “to dismiss troops” is recorded.^[3]
• 1590s – English cashier is borrowed from the Dutch verb.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (law) To quash or annul a judgment.^[7][3]
2. (dated) To cashier, dismiss an officer; to discharge troops.^[3][2]

Word family

• cassering

Related words

• French casser
• English cashier

Usage notes

Jewish Dutch has a separate casseren (also kasjeren, kasseren), “to make kosher”, used of pots and dishes that must be boiled or heated after contact with forbidden food; it comes from the Hebrew root of koosjer.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c 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
2. ^ a b c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
9. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact