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gewoon

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Pronunciation

  • /ɣəˈʋoːn/[1]

Forms

gewoon (comparative gewoner, superlative gewoonst)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ghewone, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ga-wuna-.[2][3] It is formed with the prefix ge- on a stem related by ablaut to the verb wennen: the zero grade of Proto-Germanic *wan-jan- (“to accustom”).[2][4] The same adjective is Old Saxon giwono (also ⟨giwuno⟩), Old High German giwon and Old English gewuna, the source of Middle English wone; without the prefix and with another ablaut grade there is Old Norse vanr (“accustomed”).[2][5][6] The modern German gewohnt has a final ⟨t⟩ from the past participle of Middle High German gewonen.[2][7] The Middle Dutch form ⟨ghewōne⟩, with an open long ⟨o⟩, continues the weak form of the adjective, as in Old Saxon, beside the strong form of Old High German.[6][5][8]

Whether it is related to wonen “to live, dwell” is uncertain.[2] The Middle Dutch dictionary, Franck–Van Wijk and Vercoullie derive it from the stem of that verb, and the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal sees a close link, since Middle Dutch ⟨ghewone⟩ once means “living (somewhere)”.[9][6][7][8] The Philippa dictionary thinks such rare crossings of meaning more likely show later popular influence of that verb.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in a Ghent charter of 1236: den orlof dien de heilege kerke es gewone tegeuene, “the leave which holy church is wont to give”.[10][2][11] A Limburg glossary of about 1240 translates Latin consuescere “to become accustomed” as gewone sin.[10] In Middle Dutch it was used almost only in ghewone sijn “to be accustomed, be wont”, and always of people or personifications.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Ghewone sijn was followed by an infinitive (ghewone sijn te doene), a clause with dat, or a genitive, and meant much the same as plegen.[2][9] Outside this phrase, gewoon in the sense “usual, customary” appears only in Early Modern Dutch, as in de gewone zinrijckheid of a painter (1640); in Middle Dutch gewoonlijc served this purpose.[2][8][9] The 18th century has gewoone wagens (1776) and den gewoonen loop der Natuur (1785).[2][8]

In modern Dutch the adjective also means “ordinary, plain”, and it names the common species of plants and animals, such as gewone zeehond.[12][1] The adverb means “simply, just”.[12][1] The saying doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg sums up a dislike of standing out that is often called typically Dutch.[12] In the Dutch of Jews gewoon meant “non-Jewish”, and de gewone jaartelling was the Christian calendar.[13][14]

The word was borrowed into Papiamentu (gewoon, hewon), Sranan Tongo (gewoon “everyday”), which passed it on to Surinamese Javanese as kuwun “only”;[15][1] Negerhollands had geween.[15][1]

Timeline

  • 1236 – Gewone is first recorded, in a Ghent charter.[10][11]
  • c. 1240 – A Limburg glossary has gewone sin for Latin consuescere.[10]
  • 1285 – Titus is described as wel ten wapinen ghewone, “well used to arms”.[2][10]
  • 1640 – Gewoon is used attributively for “usual”.[2][8]
  • 1785 – Den gewoonen loop der Natuur “the ordinary course of nature” is recorded.[2][8]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. usual, customary, generally accepted: Ze nam de gewone weg naar huis.[12][1][16]
  2. Of the commonest kind, ordinary; in names of species gewone marks the common one.[12][1]
  3. Plain, unremarkable, everyday: Het zijn heel gewone mensen.[12][16]
  4. accustomed, used to: Hij is het gewoon om vroeg op te staan.[12][1][16]

Adverb

  1. Simply, just: Ik ben het gewoon vergeten.[12][1]

Word family

  • buitengewoon
  • gewoonheid
  • gewoonlijk
  • gewoonte
  • gewoontjes
  • gewoonweg
  • ongewoon
  • doodgewoon
  • wennen
  • gewennen
  • German gewohnt

Usage notes

A gewoon hoogleraar is a full professor.[12] In West Flanders the adjective has the form geweune.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 141
  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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  7. ^ a b Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  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. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Beem, H. (1974), Uit Mokum en de mediene: Joodse woorden in Nederlandse omgeving, Assen: Van Gorcum
  14. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
  15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  16. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org