fluweel

Forms

fluweel n (plural fluwelen, diminutive fluweeltje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch fluweel, first velueel, borrowed from Old French veluel (“velvet”).^[2][3][1] The Old French word, recorded in 1298, is a derivative of velu (“hairy”), from Late Latin villūtus (“hairy”), a variant of Latin villōsus (“hairy”), from villus (“shaggy hair”).^[2][4][1] The further origin of the Latin noun is uncertain, and a link with wol is not likely.^[2] The same French word gave Middle Low German fluwēl, from which come late Old Norse fluel and Danish fløjl.^[5]

Old French also had velvet (whence English velvet) with other diminutive suffixes; their ⟨v⟩ is explained as the written ⟨u⟩ of forms like ⟨veluel⟩ read as ⟨v⟩.^[2] From the Latin adjective came the French word that gave velours and floers.^[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A Flemish record of 1336–1339 lists 6 ellen roods velueels, “six ells of red velvet”.^[2][7][8] Beside it stood vluël, and the modern form fluweel appears early, in 1340–1360.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Already in Middle Dutch fluweel replaced the usual name for velvet, samijt, which came through Old French and Medieval Latin from a Middle Greek word for a fabric woven of six threads; modern Dutch uses samijt only as a historical term.^[2][6][7] German still has Samt, and early modern Dutch for a time had sammet and sammeet after it.^[2]

The WNT describes velvet as a woven fabric with a raised pile on at least one side, soft and glossy, and often the type of a costly stuff (1615).^[9] It also stood for softness, and an easy life was compared to it (1823).^[9] The diminutive fluweeltje names the marigolds of the genus Tagetes, whose petals shine like velvet.^[9] Danish fløjl and Norwegian fløyel come from Dutch or Low German, and Negerhollands had fluweel and flyweel.^[10][1]

Timeline

• 1298 – Old French veluel is recorded.^[2]
• 1336–1339 – Middle Dutch velueel “velvet” is first recorded in Flanders.^[2][7][8]
• 1340–1360 – The form fluweel appears.^[2]
• 1572 – The variant verweel is recorded.^[9]
• 1615 – Fluweel is named beside damask and satin as a costly stuff.^[9]
• 1823 – An easy life is called een leventjen als fluweel.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. velvet, a soft, glossy woven fabric with a short raised pile.^[11][9][1]

Word family

• fluwelen
• fluwelig
• fluweelzacht
• fluweeltje
• koordfluweel

Related words

• velours
• floers
• samijt
• English velvet

Usage notes

Zo zacht als fluweel means very soft, and op fluweel zitten to have an easy life.^[11] A corrupted form verweel (1572), ferweel, survives regionally, as verwiel in West Friesland and verwijl in Groningen and Overijssel.^[9]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
4. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
5. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; 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 e f g h 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. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
11. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers