doden

Forms

doden^[1] The older spelling is dooden.^[2] Middle Dutch also wrote doeden.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch dôden, inherited from Old Dutch *dōden, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *daudijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *daudijaną (“to make dead, kill”).^[1][5] The verb was formed in Proto-Germanic from the adjective *daudaz (“dead”), the ancestor of dood, with the causative suffix *-janą, so its meaning was “to make dead”.^[5][1][6]

The same verb is Old Saxon bidōdian, Old High German tōten (modern German töten), Old English diēdan, Old Frisian dēda, Old Norse deyða (modern Swedish döda) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gadauþjan).^[5][7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first recorded in Ghent in 1237, in a rule on whoever doot “kills” a banished man.^[5][6] About 1240 the Bernse glossary uses doden both of killing a person and of slaughtering or sacrificing an animal.^[5][9][4]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch also used the verb of making a part of the body die off, and figuratively of mortifying the flesh, a sense recorded in 1320.^[3] In Holland in 1401 it could mean to cancel a debt or obligation, like Middle Low German brieve doden.^[3] An early modern Bible text of 1557 has Doodet u erdtsche lidtmaten, “mortify your earthly members”, of suppressing desires.^[2]

In later Dutch it was used of putting an end to anything, a hope or someone's peace of mind (1865), and around 1900 of striking a name or a paid debt from a register.^[2] De tijd doden, to pass the time, is a modern phrase.^[10][11] The verb was taken into Negerhollands as dood, and Afrikaans has dood.^[12][1]

Timeline

• 1237 – The verb is first recorded in Ghent.^[5][6]
• c. 1240 – The Bernse glossary has doden of killing people and animals.^[5][9]
• 1320 – The figurative sense “mortify (the flesh)” is recorded.^[3]
• 1401 – Doden “cancel (a debt)” is recorded in Holland.^[3]
• 1557 – The sense “suppress (desires)” appears in a Bible text.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) to kill, take the life of: De jager doodde het hert met één schot.^[10][13][1]
2. (transitive) to put an end to, make cease: de tijd doden, to pass the time.^[10][11][2]

Word family

• dodelijk
• doding
• doder
• ploertendoder
• geestdodend

Related words

• dood
• sterven
• German töten

Usage notes

The commandment gij zult niet doden, “thou shalt not kill”, keeps the old pronoun.^[10] The plural doden “the dead” belongs to the noun dood.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e 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
3. ^ a b c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 105
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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
6. ^ 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
7. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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 c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org