Etymologically
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hoe

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Pronunciation

Forms

hoe[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch hoe, inherited from Old Dutch huo, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwō.[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon hwō, Old High German wuo, Old Frisian hū and Old English hū (modern English how).[2][4][5] It was probably an instrumental case of the interrogative stem Proto-Germanic *hwa-, which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kʷo-.[2][5][1] The matching instrumental Proto-Indo-European *kʷoh₁ is also behind Ancient Greek πῶς (pôs, “how”) and Avestan kā (“how”), and perhaps Latin quō (“whither”).[2][4][6]

Forms with other vowels stand beside it.[2] Old Saxon hwī, Old English hwī (modern English why) and Old Norse hví (“how, why”) go back to Proto-Germanic *hwī, and Old High German hwē (modern German wie) and Gothic 𐍈𐌴 (ƕē) to Proto-Germanic *hwē; these continue the instrumentals Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁ and Proto-Indo-European *kʷih₁, the latter also seen in Latin quī.[2][4]

At the start of a word Proto-Germanic /hw-/ lost its /w/ in Dutch before rounded vowels and its /h/ before unrounded ones, which is why ⟨hoe⟩ begins with ⟨h⟩ while wie, wat and waar3 begin with ⟨w⟩.[2] East Middle Dutch had woe, matching Middle Low German ⟨wō⟩; it spread in Gelderland charters from the later 14th century, and Van Haeringen holds that it is not just a blend of ⟨hoe⟩ and the German form.[7][4] Middle Dutch also used wie (“how”), which corresponds to Old High German ⟨hwio⟩.[7][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adverb is first recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, introducing a direct question: Huo gedana uurthun an te stornussi “how they have been brought to ruin”.[8][2] Middle Dutch hoe is recorded in Ghent in 1236.[9][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old Dutch the word introduced direct and indirect questions about manner.[8] Middle Dutch widened it to “why”, “of what kind” and, with heten, “by what name”, and used it in exclamations; a doubled hoe … hoe could ask “why on earth”.[9] It could also ask a price, as in hoe gheefdine mi? “for how much will you sell it to me?” (1400), and in indirect questions it was often followed by dat, as it still is in speech.[10][11]

Later Dutch strengthened it with words such as drommel and formed hoe dan ook “in any case”.[11] With a comparative, hoe … hoe means “the … the”.[1][12] The word lives on in Negerhollands hoe and ho and in Berbice Dutch ho, and Skepi Dutch made hosmetju “how are you” of it.[13][1]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Huo is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2][14][8]
  • 1236 – Middle Dutch hoe appears in Ghent.[9][2]
  • 1254 – The strengthened al hoe is recorded.[2]
  • 1285 – A West Flemish text uses hoe for “why”.[9]
  • 1400 – Hoe asks a price: hoe gheefdine mi?[10]
  • 1858 – Hoe dan ook “in whatever way” is recorded.[11]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. In what way, how: Hoe open je dit blik?[12][1][15]
  2. For what reason, on what grounds: Hoe kan hij dat nu weten?[12]
  3. Of what kind, what like: Hoe was het weer in Spanje?[12]
  4. To what degree: Hoe oud is je zus?[12]
  5. Strengthening an exclamation: Hoe kon je dat vergeten![12]

Conjunction

  1. hoe … hoe the … the, with comparatives: Hoe langer je wacht, hoe duurder het wordt.[1]

Noun

  1. (het hoe) The way something happens, the manner.[12]

Word family

  • hoedanig
  • hoeveel
  • hoever
  • hoewel
  • hoezeer
  • hoelang

Usage notes

In Amsterdam Jewish Dutch hoe, usually with a negation, could mean “why”.[16] In Surinamese Dutch it is also used for “as, like”.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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. 165
  4. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  6. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  7. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  8. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  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 Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  15. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  16. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
  17. ^ Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho