groot

Forms

groot (comparative groter, superlative grootst)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch groot, inherited from Old Dutch grōt, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *graut, inherited from Proto-Germanic *grautaz.^[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon grōt, Old High German grōz (“very large”) (modern German groß), Old Frisian grāt (modern West Frisian grut) and Old English grēat (“coarse, large”) (modern English great).^[2][4] It is found only in West Germanic and is therefore probably a fairly late word.^[2][5][6]

Its form is identical with Old Norse grautr (“porridge”), and the Philippa dictionary and De Vries therefore think the first meaning may have been “coarse-grained”, relating it to gort and grut.^[2][5][7] Kroonen takes it as a regular o-grade adjective to the strong verb Proto-Germanic *greutan- (“to grind”), meaning “coarse” at first and “big” only later in West Germanic;^[4][1] Wiktionary traces the verb to Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (“to rub, grind”).^[4][1] Franck–Van Wijk and the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal still called the origin uncertain.^[6][8]

The older Germanic adjective for “big” was Proto-Germanic *mikila-, which had almost disappeared from Old and Middle Dutch: it is Middle Dutch mēkel, mikil, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils) and Old Norse mikill, and English much comes from it.^[2][5][4] It survives in place names such as Mecklenburg, “the great fortress”, and Mekkelhorst in Twente, and it is related to Latin magnus and Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas), from Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- (“great”).^[2][5] The Philippa dictionary compares the replacement with Latin ⟨magnus⟩ giving way to ⟨grandis⟩ in the Romance languages, and English ⟨great⟩ to ⟨big⟩ and ⟨large⟩.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word first appears in Old Dutch place names in Zeeland: Grotenflit “great stream”, a lost place near Cadzand (1177–1187), and Grotmeda “great hayland” on Walcheren (1180–1210).^[2][9][3] Middle Dutch grot appears around 1240, and in the 13th century the word could already mean “adult”, “large”, “huge”, “considerable”, “lofty” and “much”.^[2][10]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch groot was used of tall people and large animals, and of the powerful and eminent: from 1301 it is a byname of rulers, as in Hughe de grote.^[11] Groot met enen meant to be in someone's favour, and it lives on in groot zijn met iemand, to be close friends with someone.^[11][12] The adverb meant “very”, as in groet willecome “very welcome” (1265).^[10] A trading phrase in groots “wholesale” (1256) was later replaced by in het groot.^[11]

The sense “grown-up” is behind sayings such as Kleyne kinders worden groot (1632).^[8] In children's language een grote boodschap doen is to defecate, a joking euphemism for going off on an errand.^[12][13]

Dutch carried the word overseas: Negerhollands had groot and grooto, Berbice Dutch groto “old; master”, Petjoh groot “grown up”, and South African English took groot “big, important” through Afrikaans.^[14][1]

Timeline

• 1177–1187 – The place name Grotenflit near Cadzand is recorded.^[2][9]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch grot appears.^[2][10]
• 1256 – In groots “wholesale” is recorded.^[11]
• 1265 – The adverb appears in groet willecome “very welcome”.^[10]
• 1288 – Groot as the name of a coin is first recorded.^[9]
• 1301 – De grote is used as a byname of rulers.^[11]
• 1632 – Kleyne kinders worden groot “little children grow up” is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adjective

1. big, large: of more than the usual size, of things, people and animals.^[13][1]
2. tall.^[1][8]
3. Considerable, of more than normal extent, of abstract things: een grote vergissing.^[13]
4. adult, grown-up: grote mensen are adults.^[13][1]
5. Great, being to a high degree what the noun says: Hij is een grote liefhebber van jazz.^[13]
6. Important, eminent: de groten der aarde, the rich and powerful.^[13][1]
7. Of the size stated: Het perceel is drie hectare groot.^[13]

Word family

• grootte
• groots
• grootheid
• vergroten
• grotendeels
• grootmoeder
• grootvader
• grootouder
• grootbrengen
• groothandel
• grootmacht
• overgroot
• middelgroot

Related words

• gort
• grut
• English great
• German groß

Usage notes

A separate noun groot named an old silver coin worth half a stuiver;^{[5][8][6][13]} Middle Dutch grôte is the adjective used as a noun, after Medieval Latin grossus, French gros and Italian grosso “thick (coin)”.^{[5][8][6][13]} The Flemish groat spread from the Low Countries, and English groat (from 1362) was borrowed from it.^[5][15][14]

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 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 151
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ a b c d 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 c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff