Etymologically
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fijn

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Pronunciation

Forms

fijn (comparative fijner, superlative fijnst)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch fijn, borrowed from Old French fin (“perfect, pure”), a word said mostly of precious metals.[2][1][3] That adjective comes from Latin fīnis (“end, limit”), in the sense “at the far end, outstanding”, and matches the Medieval Latin fīnus (“refined”);[2][4][5] De Vries and De Tollenaere explain it from the Latin noun used for “the best”, and the Dutch phrase with einde meaning “that is the best” shows a similar shift.[2][4][5] Franck and Van Wijk derive it from a Late Latin form beside fīnītus (“finished, perfect”).[6]

Dutch took over some later French senses: “cunning” and “clever”, now obsolete in Dutch, and “very small”, “slender”.[2] It was also borrowed as German fein, English fine and Swedish fin.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adjective is first found in Brabant texts of 1260–1280: a knight is called fin “noble, perfect” in Boeve van Hamtone, and a lady edel vrouwe fijn in the Nibelungen fragment.[2][7] Van der Sijs dates it to 1265–1270, in the Life of Lutgart, with the sense “glorified”.[8][5]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch fijn meant “excellent, pure, beautiful, upright, pious”, and as an adverb “pure”, “clean” and “small”.[6][7] The sense “pure, unmixed” was long used of gold and silver: a coin of 1520 contains eighteen carats of fine gold.[9][2] Kiliaan in 1599 has “thin, not coarse”, and the sense “made of tiny particles” is quoted from 1736.[2]

The commonest modern sense, “pleasant, nice”, hardly exists in French and grew up in Dutch from the old “perfect, pure”; a 16th-century text already invites someone to come and eat fijn.[2] German, English and Swedish took a similar path with their own borrowings.[2] From 1656 fyne broederen were strictly religious brethren, and fijn still means “strictly orthodox” in informal Dutch.[2][10]

The word travelled with Dutch: West Frisian, Negerhollands (fien), Berbice Dutch and Papiamentu (fini), and Sranan Tongo (feni, “thin, slender”), from which it reached Saramaccan and Surinamese Javanese.[11][1]

Timeline

  • 1260–1270 – Fin “noble, perfect” in Boeve van Hamtone.[2]
  • 1265–1270 – The Life of Lutgart uses the adjective.[8][5]
  • 1285 – Fijn as an adverb, “pure”, in a West Flemish text.[7]
  • 1520 – Coins of eighteen carats of fine gold.[9][2]
  • 1599 – Kiliaan gives “thin, not coarse”.[2]
  • 1616 – The sense “cunning” is recorded.[2]
  • 1656 – Fyne broederen, strictly pious brethren.[2]
  • 1736 – “Consisting of small particles” is first quoted.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. nice, pleasant, enjoyable: Wat fijn dat je er bent![10][1][12]
  2. Consisting of small particles: fijn zand.[10][12]
  3. Of very good quality, refined.[10]
  4. Of fabric or clothing, made of delicate material.[10]
  5. Pure, unmixed, especially of gold and silver.[10][9]
  6. thin, slender: een fijne draad.[10][1]
  7. subtle, precise: een fijn gevoel voor humor.[10][1]
  8. (informal) Strictly orthodox in religion.[10]

Word family

  • fijnzinnig
  • fijnheid
  • fijnmazig
  • fijnstraal
  • fijntjes
  • haarfijn
  • ragfijn
  • verfijnen
  • fijnte
  • fijngevoelig
  • fijnproever
  • fijnschilder
  • fijnvoelend
  • finesse
  • English fine
  • German fein

Usage notes

Zo fijn als gemalen poppenstront is an informal phrase for someone of rigidly Reformed belief.[10] Middle Dutch also had a noun fijn “end”, borrowed from Old French fin, which survives in official phrases such as ter fine van advies.[7][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 q 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. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 126
  5. ^ a b c d Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  6. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  7. ^ a b c d 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
  8. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  12. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org