Etymologically
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dingen

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈdɪŋə(n)/[1]

Forms

dingen[1] The verb was weak at first and became strong in the 16th century, after verbs such as dwingen and zingen: past dong, participle gedongen.[2][3][4] After the 17th century weak forms no longer occur, in afdingen and bedingen either.[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch dinghen, inherited from Old Dutch *thingon, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þingōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þingōną (“to hold a meeting, discuss”), a verb formed from the noun *þingą (“assembly, matter”), the ancestor of ding.[2][1][5][6] The same verb is Old Saxon thingon (“to hold court”), Old High German dingōn (“to hope, strive”) (modern German dingen), Old Frisian thingia (modern West Frisian tingje), Old English þingian (“to ask, desire”) and Old Norse þinga (“to hold an assembly or court”).[2][5][7]

Its first sense comes from the old meaning of the noun, “court, assembly, lawsuit”.[2][8] The Philippa dictionary traces the development from “to hold a court” through “to plead” to “to strive, compete” and finally “to negotiate, haggle”.[2][8][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is from Ghent in 1237, of the person dar hi up dinghet, against whom one brings a lawsuit.[2][6] A Limburg word list of 1240 glosses Latin placitare “to plead, hold court” with dengen.[6][9][10]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used dinghen for holding court and passing judgement (1281), for pleading a case (1286–1343), for making a bid on something (late 14th century) and for striving after a thing (about 1450).[2][11] The legal senses were still alive in the 16th and 17th centuries: a text of 1555 prefers anything to going to law (playeren oft dinghen), and in 1622 the council dingt and gives judgement.[4] They are now obsolete.[4]

Dingen naar, to try to obtain, is found in 1642, when the Emperor Ferdinand dong for an office for his son, and in 1766 suitors dingen for a girl's hand.[4] Dingen om, to compete for, follows in 1735.[4] Haggling over a price is recorded in 1612 and 1642, and in this sense the compound afdingen has largely taken over.[4][2][12]

Timeline

  • 1237 – Middle Dutch dinghet “brings a lawsuit”, at Ghent.[2][6]
  • 1240 – Dengen glosses Latin placitare.[6][9]
  • 1281 – Dinghen “to hold court”.[2]
  • late 14th century – “To bid on, offer to buy”.[2][11]
  • c. 1450 – “To strive”.[2][11]
  • 1612 – Nau dingen “to haggle hard”.[4]
  • 1642 – Dingen naar an office.[4]
  • 1735 – Dingen om “to compete for”.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (dingen naar) To try to obtain, to seek or solicit something, such as a prize, an office or someone's hand: naar de titel dingen.[4][13][1][2]
  2. (dingen om) To compete, to vie for.[4][2]
  3. To haggle, to bargain over a price (more often afdingen).[12][4][2]
  4. (obsolete) To hold court; to plead a case.[4][11]

Word family

  • afdingen
  • bedingen
  • geding
  • dinger

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d e 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
  7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
  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. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 104
  11. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  12. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org