geheim

Forms

geheim (comparative geheimer, superlative geheimst); as a noun het geheim (plural geheimen, diminutive geheimpje).^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from German geheim, taken over in the 16th century.^[3][4][5][1] In late Middle High German geheim meant “belonging to the house”, then “familiar, intimate” and finally “hidden from the outside world”.^[3][6] The word is formed with the prefix ge- from heem (“home”), so that it first meant “belonging to the narrow circle of the household”, the opposite of public.^[7][2][8] The function of the prefix is not clear.^[7][2] The base goes back to Proto-Germanic *haima- (“dwelling place”), the source of German Heim and English home.^[7]

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal notes that Middle Dutch used heimelijk for this meaning, formed from the same stem in another way.^[2][7] Kiliaan in 1588 labels the word German and Saxon, which shows that it was then only regional.^[7][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Kiliaan records ghe-heym in 1588 with the Latin glosses “secretus, familiaris”, “hidden; intimate”.^[7][5][2] In 1625 sijn' geheymen raed are the counsellors in someone's confidence, and a text of 1686 speaks of revealing geheyme saecken, secret matters.^[7]

Semantic evolution

The word spread slowly: Plantijn's dictionary of 1573 does not have it and lists many phrases under heymelick instead, and the States Bible uses only heimelijk.^[2] The noun, the adjective used substantively, appears in 1620 (t geheym van mijne dromen, “the secret of my dreams”), while the older geheimenisse “mystery” is recorded in 1573.^[7][2] In het geheim “in secret” is recorded in 1842, and geheimzinnig “mysterious”, literally “with a hidden meaning”, in 1812.^[2][7]

In the 19th century the adjective is used of closed sessions (geheim comité, 1877), of secret services (1850) and of secret marriages (1836).^[2] Today it is common in geheim agent “spy” and de geheime dienst “the secret service”.^[9] Een openbaar geheim “an open secret” is a translation of Italian il pubblico secreto.^[10]

Dutch passed the word on to Frisian, Negerhollands, Javanese (gehèm), Madurese and Surinamese Javanese.^[11][1]

Timeline

• 1573 – Geheimenisse “mystery” is recorded.^[7]
• 1588 – Kiliaan lists ghe-heym as a German and Saxon word.^[7][5]
• 1620 – The noun geheim “secret” appears.^[7][2]
• 1625 – Sijn' geheymen raed “his confidential counsellors” is recorded.^[7]
• 1812 – Geheimzinnig “mysterious” is recorded.^[7]
• 1842 – In het geheim “in secret” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. secret, deliberately kept hidden: een geheime afspraak.^[9][12][1]

Adverb

1. secretly.^[1]

Noun

1. a secret, something that is or must be kept hidden: Kun je een geheim bewaren?^[9][12][1]
2. a mystery, something not fully understandable: de geheimen van het heelal.^[9][12]

Word family

• geheimzinnig
• geheimenis
• geheimhouden
• geheimschrift
• geheimschrijver
• familiegeheim
• levensgeheim
• bedgeheim
• hartsgeheim

Related words

• heem
• heimelijk
• German geheim

Usage notes

Geen geheim maken van iets is to admit something openly.^[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 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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
6. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 135
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
8. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
9. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org