Etymologically
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dus

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Pronunciation

Forms

dus[1] Middle Dutch had both dus and dos.[2][1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch dus, inherited from Old Dutch thus, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þus, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þus.[4][1] The same word is Old Saxon thus, Old Frisian thus and Old English þus (modern English thus), all meaning “so”.[4][5] It is found only in West Germanic, and only in part of it.[4][5][6]

It is the pronoun stem Proto-Indo-European *tu- with the adverbial suffix ⟨-s⟩.[5][3][7] This ⟨*tu⟩, a particle beside the demonstrative stem ⟨*to-⟩ of de, is kept in Sanskrit तु (tu, “but, yet”), and it stands beside ⟨*tou⟩, the source of doch.[5][4] Franck and Van Wijk noted that the form recalls the feminine and neuter forms of the pronoun deze, and the WNT considered the formation not yet fully explained.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch thus “thus, as follows” appears in the Willeram of about 1100, in tho thie parentes thus quathan “when the parents spoke thus” and Nu helphewir hiro thus, “now let us help her thus”.[9][4] Middle Dutch dus spraken die brieue, “thus said the letters”, is from 1201–1225, and a Limburg glossary of 1240 has dos vele for Latin tantum.[4][10]

Semantic evolution

The original sense, “in this way, so”, is now old-fashioned but survives in aldus.[4] The ONW notes that in Old Dutch thus was being pushed aside by sus, under the influence of so, which is why modern Dutch says zus en zo.[9] Middle Dutch also used it for “to such a degree” and, from 1265–1270, for “therefore”.[4][10] Van der Sijs dates the conjunction to 1350.[11] A 16th- and 17th-century adjectival use, “such”, lived on as dusch “such a”.[8]

The consequence sense became the main one, and in speech the word is also a modal particle, as in a question that checks a conclusion, recorded in 1992.[4][12] As an official-sounding word from government documents it was borrowed into Indonesian dus, Javanese dos, Ambonese Malay and Manado Malay des and Sranan dùs, and into West Frisian.[13][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch thus appears in the Willeram.[4][11][9]
  • 1201–1225 – Middle Dutch dus is recorded.[4][6]
  • 1240 – Dos vele “so much” glosses Latin tantum.[4][10]
  • 1265–1270 – Dos is used for “therefore”.[4]
  • 1350 – Van der Sijs dates the conjunction to this year.[11]
  • 1992 – The particle use in questions is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Conjunction

  1. So, therefore, as follows from what was said: Het regent, dus ik neem de bus.[12][1][14]

Adverb

  1. (formal) In this way, thus.[12][8]
  2. Used as a filler with little meaning: Ik zat dus in de trein, en toen …[12]
  3. In questions, checking a conclusion: Je komt dus niet?[4]

Word family

  • aldus
  • dusver
  • dusdoende

Usage notes

In Zeeland a separate adjective dus means “sluggish, listless”, from duts “wretch”.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  3. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 115
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  12. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  15. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2007), Zeeuws etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de Zeeuwse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas