hier

Forms

hier^[1] Middle Dutch also had hiere, hir and, under German influence, hie.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch hier, inherited from Old Dutch hier, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hēr, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hē₂r.^[3][1] The Wachtendonck Psalms have the longer Old Dutch form hiera (“hither”).^[3][4] The same word is Old Saxon hēr, Old High German hiar (modern German hier), Old Frisian hīr, Old English hēr (modern English here), Old Norse hér and Gothic 𐌷𐌴𐍂 (hēr).^[3][5]

It is probably built with a suffix ⟨-r⟩, the same as in daar and waar, on the full grade of the demonstrative particle Proto-Indo-European *ḱei-, *ḱi- (“this”).^[3][6] That stem is also found in heden, heen and her, in the pronouns hij, hem and hun, and in 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 (himma, “this”) and 𐌷𐌹𐌳𐍂𐌴 (hidrē, “hither”).^[3][7] Outside Germanic it appears in Latin cis and citrā (“on this side”), Ancient Greek ἐκεῖ (ekeî, “there”), Lithuanian šis (“this”), Old Church Slavonic сь (sĭ, “this”) and Hittite ki (“this”).^[3][6]

The Proto-Germanic vowel ⟨*ē₂⟩, which became Dutch ⟨ie⟩, is of disputed origin; the EWN suggests it arose from ⟨*ei⟩ in words of this ablaut series.^[3] Kroonen, following Kortlandt, reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *ki-or, whose diphthong merged early with ⟨*ē₂⟩.^[5] Van Haeringen thought Old Saxon hīr a Frisian form.^[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century have hiera “hither”: Bethiu bekeret uuerthe folc min hiera, “therefore my people shall turn hither”.^[4][3] In the Middle Dutch rule of a Ghent hospital (1236) the word is used of the place where the speaker is: no one may be received hier, here, unless it profits the house.^[9][10]

Semantic evolution

Old Dutch hier meant “in this place”, “here on earth” as against the hereafter, and “hither”.^[4] Middle Dutch kept these senses and also used it of time, “now”, as in hier nu.^[9][2] From the 17th century it opened inscriptions on graves, Hier rust… (1638).^[11] It forms the first part of pronominal adverbs such as hieraan and hiermee, standing for dit.^[1][12] Used on its own it can also accompany handing something over.^[13]

Negerhollands has hier, hie and hi, Berbice Dutch hiri and Skepi Dutch hisə.^[14][1] The Afrikaans call hier, jy! “here, you!” became South African English hierjy, a worthless person or thing.^[14]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch hiera “hither” appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[4][3]
• c. 1100 – Hir is used of life here on earth in the Rhineland Rhyming Bible.^[4]
• 1236 – Middle Dutch hier is recorded in Ghent.^[10][9]
• 1638 – Hier rust nu Plemp, an epitaph.^[11]

Meanings

Adverb

1. here, in this place, near the speaker: Wacht hier op mij.^[13][1]
2. Used when handing something over or drawing attention to it: Hier, neem jij deze tas.^[13]
3. As the first part of a pronominal adverb, standing for dit: hiermee, hierover.^[1][12]
4. In hier en nu, the present moment.^[1][9]

Word family

• hiernamaals
• hieraan
• hierachter
• hierzo
• hiero
• alhier
• ziehier

Related words

• daar
• er
• her
• waar
• heen
• heden
• hij
• English here

Usage notes

Hier en daar means “here and there, in various places”.^[13][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
4. ^ a b c d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ 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
10. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
11. ^ a b 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
12. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
13. ^ a b c d 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)