Etymologically
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gebruiken

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Pronunciation

  • /ɣəˈbrœy̯kə(n)/[1]

Forms

gebruiken (past gebruikte; past participle gebruikt, with hebben)[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ghebrûken, inherited from Old Dutch gibrūkan, formed with the strengthening prefix ge- from the verb bruiken “to use, enjoy”, which went out of use after the 17th century.[3][4][2][1] Middle Dutch had both forms, ⟨brûken⟩ mainly in the north; the prefixed verb also appears as ⟨gebroeken⟩.[5][6][7]

The simple verb is Old Saxon brūkan, Old High German brūhhan (modern German brauchen), Old Frisian brūka, Old English brūcan (modern English brook (“to tolerate”)), Old Norse brúka and Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (brūkjan), from Proto-Germanic *brūk- (“to use”);[3][5][8] Old High German and Old English also had the prefixed verb.[3][5][8] Outside Germanic it is related to Latin fruor (“to enjoy”) and frūx (“fruit, produce”) (see fruit), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrūg-;[3][5][6] De Vries notes that the root is found only in Italic and Germanic.[3][5][6]

The Old English verb was strong, and Middle Dutch shows traces of strong forms too, such as the past ⟨ghebroec⟩ of about 1400.[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch gibrūkan appears about 1100 in the Egmond Williram, in the sense “to share in, enjoy”: the bride says that she alone should enjoy her bridegroom.[4] Middle Dutch gebruken is recorded in 1240 in a Limburg glossary, translating Latin frui and perfrui “to enjoy”.[9][3][10]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the main sense was “to enjoy”, above all earthly and mystical love: in a life of Saint Lutgard (1265) the saint's soul receives een vol gebruken, the fullest enjoyment, of God, and Gods gebruken was to enjoy God's presence.[9][7] The verb also meant “to enjoy someone's company, to have dealings with”, as in die Joden ne ghebruken niet metten Samaritanen (1348), and in law “to have the full use of” property (1275, 1290).[9][7][3] The sense “to make use of” is found in the 14th century, in deser macht en bruken wi niet “we do not use this power”.[3]

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal found the sense “to enjoy” obsolete by its own day; its last example is of 1632.[2] “To use” became the main sense, with iets kunnen gebruiken “to have use for something” and iets moeten gebruiken “to need something”, which the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal compares with German brauchen.[2] Van der Sijs's loanword dictionary lists German gebrauchen beside the Dutch verb.[11] Of food and drink it means “to take”, and of alcohol or drugs “to take regularly”.[12] In Surinamese Dutch it is the usual word for eating and drinking, and also means “to like”.[13]

The verb lives on in Afrikaans gebruik and Negerhollands gebruk;[1] Sranan Tongo borrowed it as kebroiki.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch gibrūkan “to enjoy” in the Egmond Williram.[4]
  • 1240 – Middle Dutch gebruken glosses Latin frui in Limburg.[9][10]
  • 1265 – Een vol gebruken “full enjoyment” in the life of Saint Lutgard.[9]
  • 1275 – Gebruken “to have the use of” property, in a Brabant charter.[9]
  • 1348 – Ghebruken metten Samaritanen “to have dealings with the Samaritans”.[3][7]
  • 1605 – Gebruiken “to make use of” gifts.[2]
  • 1632 – The last example of the sense “to enjoy” a right.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To use, to make use of: ze gebruikt een mes om het touw door te snijden.[12][1][14]
  2. To consume, to take food or drink.[12][1]
  3. To take alcohol or drugs regularly.[12][14]
  4. Iets kunnen gebruiken: to have use for something, to need it.[2]

Word family

  • gebruik
  • gebruiker
  • gebruikelijk
  • gebruikbaar
  • hergebruiken
  • opgebruiken
  • veelgebruikt
  • bruiken
  • fruit
  • English brook
  • German brauchen

Usage notes

Zijn hersens gebruiken means to think.[12] Van Dale records als kanonnenvlees gebruikt worden, to be sacrificed on the battlefield.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  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 e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b c d e f 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
  10. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
  12. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
  14. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org