dijk

Forms

dijk m (plural dijken, diminutive dijkje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch dijc, inherited from Old Dutch dīk, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dīk, inherited from Proto-Germanic *dīka- (“dam; ditch”).^[2][1][3][4] The same word is Old Saxon dīk (“dike, pond”), Old High German dīch (“depth”) (modern German Teich (“pond”)), Old Frisian dīk (“dam”), Old English dīc (“dam, ditch”) (modern English ditch) and Old Norse díki (“pool, marsh”).^[2][5][3] English dike was probably borrowed from Dutch, and German Deich comes from Low German.^[2][6][7] English dig is probably related too.^[2]

It has been linked with Latin fīgō (“to pierce, fix”) and Lithuanian díegti (“to stab”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeig- (“to stick, fix”), but the EWN thinks it more likely a substrate word because of its narrow spread, its meanings and the alternation of /k/ and /g/ in Germanic.^[2][5] Kroonen derives it from *dʰeiǵʰ-nó- by Kluge's law and links it with deeg.^[3][1]

Middle Dutch had two meanings, “heap” and “hollow”; digging makes both a hole and a bank, as with dam and wal, and only the first survives in the standard language, the second in the dialect sense “ditch”.^[2][5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word appears first in the place name Tubindic, recorded between 996 and 1029 in a copy of about 1035; a place name Wediche of 893 (copy 1222) may be older.^[2][9] As a common noun diic “dam” is in a Utrecht record of 1156, ad uallum quod diic uocant, “to the bank they call a dike”.^[4][2] Middle Dutch dijk is recorded at Middelburg in 1254.^[10][2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch dijc was a raised earthen bank against water, also a bank thrown up in war, and a pool or swamp: ten dike could mean to the pit of hell (1340).^[11][2] Since dikes were often the only roads, dijk also meant the road on them, and in the 16th century ’s werelds dijk “the world's dike” stood for the world.^[12] Phrases followed: zoden aan de dijk brengen (1661), to help a cause, from the sods laid to shore up a dike about to break.^[12][13] Someone who looks uit een dijk gehouwen “hewn out of a dike” (1613) looks coarse and clumsy.^[12] Iemand aan de dijk zetten, first to turn out someone living by a dike, now means to dismiss someone or end a relationship.^[8][14] Een dijk van een “a dike of a”, something excellent or big, is recorded from 1965.^[15]

The word went abroad with Dutch hydraulic engineering: French digue (diic 1293, dike 1373), and through French Italian diga, Portuguese dique, Romanian dig and Esperanto digo; also Spanish dique, German Deich and English dike.^[2][16] Javanese dhèk and Papiamentu dijk “a dike in the Netherlands” also come from Dutch.^[16]

Timeline

• 996–1029 – The Old Dutch place name Tubindic is recorded (copy c. 1035).^[2][9]
• 1156 – Diic “dam” is recorded at Utrecht.^[4][2]
• 1254 – Middle Dutch dijk is recorded at Middelburg.^[10][2]
• 1293 – French diic, borrowed from Dutch, is recorded.^[2]
• 1340 – Ten dike means to the pit of hell.^[11]
• 1613 – Someone looks as if uyt een dijck ghehouwen, “hewn out of a dike”.^[12]
• 1661 – Zooden aen den dijck brengen is recorded.^[12]
• 1965 – Een dijk van een LP is in the magazine Hitweek.^[15]

Meanings

Noun

1. A dike, levee: an earthen bank built to hold back water.^[14][12][1]
2. (Belgium) A promenade along the beach.^[14]
3. (in een dijk van een) Something excellent or very large: een dijk van een salaris.^[14][15]

Word family

• dijkgraaf
• bedijken
• dijken
• dijkage
• dijkbreuk
• zeedijk
• ringdijk
• winterdijk
• zomerdijk
• slaperdijk

Related words

• dam
• wal
• English ditch
• English dike

Usage notes

Dijk “lesbian” is a separate borrowing of English dyke;^[17][18] De Coster suggests that the English slang word might itself come from the Dutch one.^[17][18] It was first an insult, from the 1970s a name taken up with pride, and is now more neutral.^[18] Een kerel als een dijk is a sturdy, strongly built man.^[13]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ 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
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 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
11. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ 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
13. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
14. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ a b c Reinsma, R. (1975), Signalement van nieuwe woorden, Amsterdam: Elsevier
16. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
17. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
18. ^ a b c Coster, Marc de (2007), Groot scheldwoordenboek: van apenkont tot zweefteef, Antwerpen: Standaard