geleden

Forms

geleden^[1] Poets also contract it to geleên.^[2] Wiktionary lists the spellings gelee, geleê and gelêe.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch gheleden, in origin the past participle of the Middle Dutch verb lîden (“to go by, pass”), which is modern lijden in a sense it has since lost.^[3][4][2][1] Literally it means “gone by”, and it is said of something that happened earlier, always with an expression of how much time has passed.^[3][2] The older meaning of the verb still shows in overlijden “to pass over (to the other world)”, in jongstleden and in verleden.^[3][2]

The participle has the prefix ⟨ge-⟩ and the ending ⟨-en⟩, with the vowel /eː/ of the past forms beside the /ɛi/ of the present ⟨lijden⟩.^[5] Early Middle Dutch used the participle without the prefix, as leden.^[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record has the form without the prefix: the Rijmbijbel of 1285 says hets leden .xlv. jaer dat God dat seide, “it is 45 years ago that God said that”.^[3] The modern form follows in a text of 1361–1425, hij wiste dattet zes jaren gheleden waer, “he knew that it was six years ago”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept one meaning throughout: it marks the time that has passed since an event.^[3][2][6] At first it was used in the clause het is … geleden (dat …), “it is … ago (that …)”, with het standing for the event or for a following clause introduced by dat.^[2] From this clause the participle came to be used alone after a time expression, as a shortened clause attached to the main sentence: a poem of 1846 says Ruim vijfmaal honderd jaar geleên, “more than five hundred years ago”.^[2]

In the 17th century geleden could also stand before a noun, in the sense “past, elapsed”, as den gheleden tijdt “the time gone by”, a use that has passed to verleden.^[2] The old phrase ’t en is als niet geleden, “it is as good as no time ago”, is recorded in 1635 and is now obsolete.^[2] Jersey Dutch had xjelêde.^[1]

Timeline

• 1285 – The Rijmbijbel has hets leden .xlv. jaer, “it is 45 years ago”, with the form without ⟨ge-⟩.^[3]
• 1361–1425 – The prefixed form gheleden is recorded.^[3]
• 1635 – The phrase ’t en is als niet geleden, “it is hardly any time ago”, appears.^[2]
• 1807 – Kort geleden “a short time ago, recently” is recorded.^[2]
• 1846 – The contracted poetic form geleên is used after a time expression standing alone.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (predicative, after a time expression) ago, before now: Hij verhuisde vier jaar geleden naar Utrecht.^[6][7][1]
2. (het is … geleden) it is (a certain time) since: Het is weken geleden dat ik haar zag.^[2][6]

Related words

• lijden
• verleden
• overlijden
• jongstleden

Usage notes

Kort geleden means “recently” and lang geleden “long ago”.^[6][2] After the event itself, geleden is used with zijn: de slag bij Waterloo is lang geleden.^[2] Verleden is used in the same way before a noun (verleden week), which geleden no longer is.^[2]

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 m n o p 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 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. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
6. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
7. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org