commandeur

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch commandoor (also ⟨commanderre⟩, ⟨commendoer⟩, ⟨commenduer⟩), borrowed from Old French commandeor.^[1][2][3] The French commandeur, recorded from 1260, and the older commandere (1160) are derived from the verb commander (see commanderen).^[3][4] That verb goes back to Vulgar Latin *commandō, from Latin commendō (“to entrust, commend”), which since Caesar could also mean “to give orders”, formed from com- and mandō (“to entrust”).^[3] The Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek names Medieval Latin commendator as the base of the word.^[2]

The Middle Dutch spellings with ⟨o⟩ and ⟨oe⟩ need not reflect another pronunciation than ⟨commandeur⟩, since both could stand for the vowel /øː/.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in 1282, in Middle Dutch from Rijkhoven in Limburg, as the title of the head of a house of a religious order of knights, such as the commander of the Teutonic Order at Alden Biesen or Bekkevoort.^[3][1] Van Veen & Van der Sijs date commandoor 1280.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th century the word was still used for the head of a religious order's house.^[3] The sense “chief, leader” is recorded from 1573.^[3][4] Kiliaan in 1599 renders it with Latin dictator.^[3][2] The military sense “commander” is recorded from 1600.^[3] From 1609 it also names a high rank in the fleet.^[3] A commandeur could be the commander of a fortress or garrison, the captain of a ship, and especially the master of a whaler.^[5] In the navy it became the rank between captain and rear admiral; the Chronologisch woordenboek dates this sense 1739.^[5][6] In the orders of knighthood it became a rank above officer and below grand cross, as in the Order of the Netherlands Lion (1816).^[3][5] In the sense “commander” French replaced commandeur with commandant after 1661, and Dutch too came to prefer commandant.^[3]

English commodore, used from the 1690s, is generally held to come from the Dutch word; the EWN links its spread in England with the reign of William III.^[3][7][2] Van der Sijs lists Danish kommandør “captain of a whaler”, and in Indonesia Indonesian kemendur and mandor “overseer”, Javanese kumendur and Madurese forms.^[8]

Timeline

• 1282 – Middle Dutch commanduer, the head of a house of a religious order of knights, is first recorded, in Limburg.^[3][1]
• 1573 – The sense “chief” is recorded.^[3][4]
• 1599 – Kiliaan records the form commandeur, “leader, ruler”.^[3][2]
• 1600 – The sense “military commander” is recorded.^[3]
• 1609 – The word is used for a high rank in the fleet.^[3]
• 1690s – English commodore appears, probably through Dutch.^[7]
• 1739 – The date Van der Sijs gives for the naval rank below rear admiral.^[6]
• 1816 – Commandeur is a rank of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A commander in an order of knighthood, ranking above officer and below grand cross.^[9][10]
2. (Netherlands) A flag officer of the navy, one rank above captain, equal to a brigadier general or commodore in the army or air force.^[9][10]
3. The head of a service in a municipal utility.^[9]
4. The small lever that works the gears of a bicycle.^[9]

Related words

• commanderen
• commandant
• English commodore

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 h i j k l m n o p q r s 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. ^ a b c d 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 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
6. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
9. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
10. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org