Etymologically
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genoeg

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Pronunciation

Forms

genoeg[1] In much of the Netherlands the shortened form genog is common in speech.[2][3][4] Middle Dutch already wrote it occasionally as ghenoch.[2][3] Flemish has genoef, whose final consonant matches English enough.[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ghenoech, inherited from Old Dutch ginuog, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough, sufficient”), formed with the prefix *ga-, which expresses completeness (see ge-), and a stem *nōg- (“sufficient”) of which no simple form survives.[5][6][1] The ONW notes that the formation was already fixed in Old Dutch.[6] The same word is Old Saxon ginōg, Old High German ginuog (modern German genug), Old Frisian enōch (modern West Frisian genôch), Old English genōg (modern English enough), Old Norse gnógr (modern Swedish nog) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌽𐍉𐌷𐍃 (ganōhs, “abundant, sufficient”).[5][3][7]

The long ⟨ō⟩ stands in ablaut with the short vowel of the Gothic verb 𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌷 (ganah, “it suffices”) and the matching ginah and geneah.[5][3][8] A form with umlaut is geneugte, and the weakest grade appears in genucht.[5][4]

The root is Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach, attain”), as in Latin nancīscor (“to obtain”) and Sanskrit अनाश (anā́śa, “has reached”).[5][7][1] De Vries also counts verbs meaning “to carry”, such as Lithuanian nešti and Ancient Greek ἐνεγκεῖν (enenkeîn), with the same root, whereas the EWN keeps a root *h₁neḱ- (“to obtain, take”) apart;[3][5][8] Franck–Van Wijk held that the Germanic meaning comes more easily from “reach to” than from “carry”.[3][5][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is in the Egmond Williram of about 1100, where genuoga means “many”: wanda genuoga nu nominetenus heizent fideles, “for many are now called faithful in name only”.[5][6][9] Middle Dutch genueg “enough” follows in the Lower Rhine area early in the 13th century: her gaf eme to etene genueg, “he gave him enough to eat”.[10]

Semantic evolution

Old Germanic already used the word in the stronger sense “more than enough, plenty”, which the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal finds behind some later uses as well.[4][5] Middle Dutch genoech doen meant “to give satisfaction, make amends” (1236), the source of genoegdoening.[10][11] As an adverb Middle Dutch ghenoech could also mean “very” and “about, nearly”, the sense kept in nagenoeg.[10][8] A health rule of 1253 advises slap genoch ende bade vele, “sleep enough and bathe often”.[5]

Genoeg hebben van iets, to be fed up with it, is found from the 19th century.[4][12] The word went abroad with Dutch: Negerhollands had genoeg and gnug, Berbice Dutch has gunuku, and Afrikaans has genoeg.[13][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch genuoga “many” in the Egmond Williram.[5][6]
  • 1201 – Middle Dutch genueg “enough” in the Lower Rhine area.[10]
  • 1236 – Genoech doen “to give satisfaction” in Ghent.[10]
  • 1253 – Slap genoch “sleep enough” in a health rule.[5]
  • 1838 – Genoeg hebben van “to have had enough of”.[4]

Meanings

Determiner

  1. enough, a sufficient amount: er is genoeg brood, there is enough bread.[12][1]
  2. Enough in number: genoeg stoelen, enough chairs.[12]
  3. Genoeg hebben van: to be fed up with.[12][4]

Adverb

  1. Enough, sufficiently, after an adjective or adverb: oud genoeg, old enough.[12][1]

Interjection

  1. Enough!, stop![14]

Word family

  • genoegen
  • genoegdoening
  • nagenoeg

Usage notes

Jammer genoeg means “unfortunately”.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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 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
  6. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  9. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  10. ^ a b c d e 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
  11. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  12. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org