druk

Forms

druk m (plural drukken, diminutive drukje n)^[1] The adjective is druk (comparative drukker, superlative drukst); it was long also drok.^[1][2][3]

Etymology

The noun is inherited from Middle Dutch druc (“pressure, oppression”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *þrukki-, a derivative of the verb drukken.^[3][1][4] It corresponds to Middle Low German druck (“pressure, need”), Old High German druc (“pressure, collision”) (modern German Druck), Old West Frisian ⟨treck⟩ “burden, trouble” and Swedish tryck.^[3][5][4] Franck and Van Wijk explain the Germanic /kk/ of the verb from a Proto-Indo-European cluster of a stop and /n/, and compare Lithuanian tráukti (“to pull”) and trúkti (“to tear”), with a basic sense of rubbing, pushing or pulling.^[4][6]

The adjective, meaning “busy”, is found only in Dutch.^[4] The EWN thinks it probably grew out of the noun, in phrases such as Middle Dutch ⟨droufheit ende druc⟩ “grief and oppression”, and compares the Early Modern adjectives ⟨druckelick⟩ and ⟨druckich⟩ “sad”.^[3] Franck and Van Wijk also take it as the noun used as an adjective, not as a shortening of druckelijc (“depressed”).^[4] The Middle Low German of East Frisia and some North Frisian dialects have it as a loan from Dutch.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun appears in the first half of the 14th century in the sense “care, trouble”: tusschen dine drucke set bi wilen vermakinghe, “among your troubles put some amusement now and then”.^[3] A Flemish text of 1340 uses it for distress or oppression.^[7] The EWN's own first record, of 1350–1400, means “fear, torment, grief”.^[3][8]

Semantic evolution

The sense “trouble, suffering” continued into the 16th century (druck ende lijden, 1500), and is now only poetic or regional.^[3][2] Printing brought a new sense: in 1541 a book is inden druck “in print”, which led to “impression, edition”.^[3][2] Druk was the burden of taxes in 1626, a physical force pressing on something in 1792, and air pressure in 1847.^[3]

The adjective appears in 1613 in Hooft, het isser drang, en drock, “it is crowded and busy there”.^[3] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal has it for busy work (1640), lively company and conversation, a busy street (1844) and restless children (1787).^[2] Weiland in 1801 still gives drok first and derives the noun drokte from it; drukte is first recorded in 1711.^[3] Stoett explains drukte maken, to make a fuss.^[9] Van Dale has zich druk maken, to get worked up.^[10] The cliché druk, druk, druk became frequent in the press in the early 1990s.^[11]

The adjective was borrowed into West Frisian drok, North Frisian druk, German dialects, Javanese, Papiamentu drùk and Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole drek “busy”, and into Manado Malay drek for clashing colours;^[12][1] Negerhollands dryk meant an edition of a book.^[12][1] Afrikaans has druk.^[1]

Timeline

• 1301–1350 – Drucke “troubles” is recorded in Middle Dutch.^[3]
• 1340 – A Flemish text uses druc for distress.^[7]
• 1541 – A book is published inden druck “in print”.^[3]
• 1613 – Hooft uses the adjective drock “busy”.^[3]
• 1626 – Druk is used for the burden of taxes.^[3]
• 1711 – Drukte “bustle” is first recorded.^[3]
• 1792 – Druk means a force exerted on something.^[3]
• 1847 – Druk is used for air pressure.^[3]
• 1990s – Druk, druk, druk becomes a cliché in the press.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. (physics) pressure, the force exerted on a surface: De druk in de band is te laag.^[10][1]
2. Pressure, a social or moral force that pushes someone to act: Zij voelde de druk van haar ouders.^[10][13]
3. printing, the printing of books and pictures.^[10][1]
4. An edition, impression: all the copies of a book printed at one time: de derde druk.^[10][1]
5. A printing technique, a kind of print.^[10]

Adjective

1. busy, involving a lot of work: een drukke baan.^[10][1]
2. Busy, constantly active, having a lot to do: Ik heb het deze week erg druk.^[10][13]
3. crowded, full of people, traffic or bustle: een drukke straat.^[10][1]
4. Of a person: noisy, restless, unable to sit still.^[10][1]
5. Of a pattern or colours: loud, restless, overloaded.^[10][1]

Word family

• drukte
• drukbeklant
• afdruk
• indruk
• nadruk
• opdruk
• overdruk
• bloeddruk
• luchtdruk
• werkdruk
• prestatiedruk
• wiegendruk
• hogedrukgebied
• lagedrukgebied

Related words

• drukken
• German Druck

Usage notes

Iemand onder druk zetten is to put pressure on someone.^[10] Maak je niet druk! tells someone not to worry.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 f g h i j k l m n o p q r 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 e Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
9. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b Coster, Marc de (1999), Woordenboek van neologismen: 25 jaar taalaanwinsten, Amsterdam: Contact
12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org