god

Forms

god m (plural goden, diminutive godje n, feminine godin)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch god, inherited from Old Dutch got, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *god, inherited from Proto-Germanic *gudą (“god”).^[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon god, Old High German got (modern German Gott), Old Frisian god (modern West Frisian god), Old English god (modern English god), Old Norse guð and Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌸 (guþ).^[2][4][3] Middle Dutch seldom spelled it with final ⟨t⟩, unlike other words ending in /t/.^[2][5] The word was first neuter, as its plurals show in Gothic, Old Norse and Old English texts, and became masculine when it was applied to the God of the Christians.^[6][4][7]

Its further origin is uncertain.^[2][3] Most scholars derive it from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewH- (“to call, invoke”), so that it meant “the one who is invoked”, comparing Sanskrit हूत (hūtá, “invoked”) (as in पुरुहूत (puruhūtá, “much invoked”), an epithet of Indra) and Old Church Slavonic зъвати (zŭvati, “to call”); but the laryngeal should have given a long /uː/ in Germanic.^[2][4][8] Others start from *ǵʰew- (“to pour”), through “libation” to “the one to whom it is poured”, which the EWN finds far-fetched.^[2][3][8] Kroonen suggests a link with говѣти (gověti, “to revere”), and the EWN thinks a loan from a pre-Germanic substrate language most likely.^[3][2] Within Germanic it is related to Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌾𐌰 (gudja, “priest”) and German Götze (“idol”).^[3]

The Indo-European word for a god, *deywós, survives in Germanic only in the name Old Norse Týr (see dinsdag); it is the source of Latin deus.^[2] Van Haeringen rejects the old idea of a loan from Iranian.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in the Old Dutch baptismal vow of Utrecht, late in the 8th century: gelobistu in got alamehtigan fadaer, “do you believe in God the almighty Father?”.^[2][10][11] In the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century God is addressed as herro got, Lord God, and a 12th-century text from Werden uses ein got, a god, of a man treated as if he were divine.^[10]

Semantic evolution

Old Dutch already had both senses, a pagan deity and the God of Christianity, which was used without an article like a name.^[10] Middle Dutch glossaries of about 1240 use got for Latin theos and divus, and the word is frequent in wishes, curses and oaths such as bi Gode and also helpe mi God, which originally went on “that I speak the truth”.^[12][5][13] The modern oath formula zo waarlijk helpe mij God almachtig continues it.^[13][14] The old genitive Godes and dative Gode remained in use long after the Middle Ages.^[6]

Some old curses were self-curses: godverdomme first meant “may God damn me (if I do not tell the truth)”.^[15] The origin of leven als God in Frankrijk, to live a carefree life, has not been found.^[7][13] Dutch gave the word to Negerhollands (god, got), and Sranan gado comes from Dutch or English.^[16][1]

Timeline

• late 8th century – Got in the Old Dutch baptismal vow of Utrecht.^[2][10][11]
• 901–1000 – Herro got “Lord God” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[10]
• 1151–1200 – Ein got “a god” in a text from Werden.^[10]
• 1240 – Got glosses Latin theos in a Limburg glossary.^[12]
• 1611 – The poetic plural Goon for the gods of Olympus.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A god, a deity: a superhuman being worshipped as ruling part of the world, as in polytheïsme.^[17][14][1]
2. Someone or something revered like a god.^[17]
3. God (capitalised): God, the creator and ruler of all things in monotheïsme.^[17][14][1]
4. God in exclamations, expressing surprise, fear or other feelings, or to affirm something.^[17]

Word family

• godin
• goddelijk
• goddeloos
• godheid
• godsdienst
• afgod
• godsvrucht
• vergoden
• godverdomme

Related words

• English god
• German Gott

Usage notes

God is written with a capital for the God of monotheism and with a small letter for other gods.^[18] De mindere goden are people of lesser talent, and de goden verzoeken is to tempt fate.^[14]

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 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. ^ a b c d e f Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b c 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
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 Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
10. ^ a b c d e f Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; 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 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
13. ^ a b c Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
14. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
16. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
17. ^ a b c d Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
18. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org