Etymologically
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gebeuren

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Pronunciation

  • /ɣəˈbøːrə(n)/[1]

Forms

gebeuren[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch geburen, inherited from Old Dutch giburen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *gaburjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *gaburjaną, formed with the prefix ge- on the verb beuren “to lift”, Proto-Germanic *burjaną (“to raise”).[2][1][3] In Middle Dutch the simple verb also meant “to fall to someone, happen, be due”.[2] The prefix had its old sense “with”, expressing a relation to a person.[2][4] The Wachtendonck Psalms write it ⟨geburran⟩, and Middle Dutch has ⟨gheboren⟩, ⟨gheboeren⟩ and ⟨gheburen⟩.[2][5]

The same verb is Old Saxon giburian (“to happen”), Old High German giburien (“to happen, fall to someone”) (modern German gebühren (“to be due”)) and Old English gebyrian (“to happen; to befit”), and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌱𐌰 (gabaurjaba, “gladly”) belongs with it.[2][5][1] West Frisian barre (“to happen”) is also related.[1] De Vries found it hard to see how “to carry” could lead to “to befit”, and noted Trier's view that the verb belongs instead with Old High German berien (“to strike”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch geburran “to happen” is first recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century.[2][4] About 1100 the Egmond Williram asks wanan sich thaz leyth geburede, why the sorrow came about.[2][3] The Middle Dutch verb appears in Ghent in 1272, in the sense “to fall to someone”: the goods that might come to the writer on the death of Willem van Evergem.[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the verb meant both “to fall to someone's lot” and “to happen”, and could also mean “to befit”.[2][4] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal derives both senses from “to rise up, appear (before someone)”.[4] By the 15th century dat en sal nemmermeer gheburen, “that shall never happen”, shows the modern use.[2] Derivatives followed: gebeurtenis “event” in 1786.[2]

The infinitive is also a noun, het gebeuren, first an event (1912) and since the 1970s a whole set of happenings, often in compounds such as kerstgebeuren.[2][4][8] Purists took this as a germanism after German das Geschehen, though it cannot always be replaced by gebeurtenis.[9]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Old Dutch geburran in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2]
  • c. 1100 – Geburede “came about” in the Egmond Williram.[2][3]
  • 1272 – Middle Dutch gheboren “to fall to someone”, in Ghent.[2][6]
  • 1486 – Dat en sal nemmermeer gheburen “that shall never happen”.[2]
  • 1786 – Gebeurtenis “event”.[2]
  • c. 1912 – The noun gebeuren “event”.[2][4]
  • 1976 – Gebeuren for a set of happenings, as in a festival.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To happen, to take place, to occur.[10][1]
  2. To be done: het is zo gebeurd, it takes only a moment.[10]
  3. To befall, to happen to someone: dat kan de beste gebeuren.[10]

Noun

  1. (het gebeuren) A set of happenings with their effects, an event.[10][1][4]

Word family

  • gebeurtenis
  • gebeurlijk
  • beuren
  • German gebühren

Usage notes

The verb takes zijn in the perfect: het is gebeurd.[4] Older Dutch also used hebben.[4] Wat gebeurd is, is gebeurd means that what is done cannot be undone.[4]

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 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
  3. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
  5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  7. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  8. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
  9. ^ Theissen, Siegfried (1978), Germanismen in het Nederlands, Hasselt
  10. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers