gretig

Forms

gretig (comparative gretiger, superlative gretigst)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Dutch grete + -ig, from an Early Modern Dutch noun ⟨grete⟩ “greed, eagerness” that Kiliaan records in 1599, beside a verb ⟨greten⟩.^[2][3][4] The EWN glosses that verb as “to irritate, to tease”, the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal as “to desire”.^[2][3]

The further origin is unclear.^[2] The EWN tentatively connects ⟨grete⟩ with the root Proto-Germanic *ger- of gaarne and begeren;^[2][4][5] De Vries thinks rather of a variant beside Old English grǣdig, Old High German grātag “greedy” and Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (grēdags, “hungry”), a dental derivative of Proto-Indo-European *ĝher-.^[2][4][5] Franck–Van Wijk, the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal and De Vries & De Tollenaere connect it instead with Middle Low German gretten “to irritate”, grettich “angry”, Middle High German grāz “rage, passion” and Old High German grazzo “very, violently”, and so with groeten, from a root for crying out; the WNT therefore takes “vehement, passionate” to be the basic meaning.^[6][3][7] The EWN finds this connection unlikely on grounds of meaning.^[2] Vercoullie denies any link with graag.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, of 1565, says that the men were so gretich to come to blows with the enemy, meaning “eager”.^[2] Van der Sijs dates the word to 1573, in Plantijn's dictionary.^[9][5]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th and 17th centuries gretig was used of people and animals hungry for food and drink, as in 1582 of birds “healthier, with more appetite”, and of desire in general.^[2][3] The forms gratig and graetig were common in the 17th century.^[2][3] From 1625 it is used of eyes and ears eager to see or hear, as in met greetige ooren; later also of hands eager to take and, by comparison, of things, such as the eager press of 1857.^[2][3]

Dutch lent the word to Negerhollands as greetig and griedig “greedy, avaricious”, and Van der Sijs lists it as the source of French gredin “a poor wretch; a scoundrel”.^[10][1]

Timeline

• 1565 – Gretich “eager” is first recorded.^[2]
• 1573 – Plantijn records the word.^[9][5]
• 1582 – Greetigher is used of birds with more appetite.^[2]
• 1599 – Kiliaan records gretigh “greedy, desirous” and the noun grete.^[2][3]
• 1625 – Met greetige ooren “with eager ears” is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1857 – Gretig is used of the press, eager for a poem.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. eager, avid; showing a keen appetite.^[11][1][12]
2. Keen, hungry to achieve, ambitious to perform.^[11][1]

Adverb

1. Eagerly, greedily, as with great hunger or thirst.^[12][3]

Word family

• gretigheid

Related words

• graag
• begeren

References

1. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
6. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 149
8. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
11. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org