ja

Forms

ja^[1] As a noun it is neuter or masculine, with the plural ja's and the diminutive jaatje.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ja, inherited from Old Dutch *jā, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ja.^[2][1] The same particle is Old Saxon jā, Old High German jā (modern German ja), Old Frisian jē, Old English gēa (modern English yea), Old Norse já and Gothic 𐌾𐌰 (ja), beside the longer 𐌾𐌰𐌹 (jai).^[2][3][4] Modern English yes comes from Old English gīse, probably “yes, be it so”.^[2][3]

Its further origin is unclear: there are no certain relatives outside Germanic.^[2][5] The EWN mentions Latin iam (“already, now”) as a possibility, and both could come from the pronoun stem Proto-Indo-European *h₁e of hij.^[2] Words for “yes” differ greatly across the Indo-European languages (ita, French oui, Ancient Greek ναί (naí), Russian да (da)), which suggests that such words are unstable; the Germanic particle is then probably not very old, and may be a sound-word.^[2][1] The affirmative Welsh ie is often compared, but De Vries derives it from a phrase “this (is) it”.^[4][3] Lithuanian ja is probably a loan from German.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first Middle Dutch record is in the Aiol (1220–1240): mer hine seide nien noch ia, “but he said neither no nor yes”.^[2][6] A Limburg glossary of about 1240 renders Latin ita with ia.^[6][7]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch often joined ja to a pronoun in answers, as in jaet “yes, it does” (1260), and dialects still have forms such as jaak “yes I” and jaai “yes he”.^[6][8][9] The word also had the adverbial senses “even”, “at least” and “truly”, which survive in some eastern dialects and in German but are rare in standard Dutch.^[2][6] It was used as a noun by 1339, in neen wert ja, “no becomes yes”.^[9]

Newer uses include ja as a curt way of saying thanks;^[10] in Jewish Dutch it served for “indeed”, after Yiddish;^[11] and in Surinamese Dutch a questioning ja? means “what did you say?”.^[12]

Dutch ja was taken into South African English and Scots, into Indonesian as ya, into Sranan as ia or ya, and into the Dutch creoles.^[13][1]

Timeline

• 1220–1240 – Middle Dutch ia appears in the Aiol.^[2][6]
• c. 1240 – A Limburg glossary has ia for Latin ita.^[6][7]
• 1285 – Ja sprac ioseph “Yes, said Joseph” appears in the Rijmbijbel.^[2]
• 1339 – Ja is used as a noun.^[9]
• 1656 – Bride and groom must Jae seggen in a marriage regulation.^[8]
• 1982 – Te ja of te nee is recorded, from a misreading of ja ofte nee.^[14]

Meanings

Interjection

1. yes: expressing agreement, consent or confirmation: Kom je ook? Ja!^[15][1]
2. Expressing resignation or a concession, especially in maar ja.^[15]
3. Picking up an earlier remark or something suddenly remembered: o ja!^[15]
4. Expressing surprise or astonishment.^[15]
5. Expressing irritation or impatience.^[15]
6. (Suriname, informal) A greeting, or a request to repeat something not heard.^[1][12]

Noun

1. A yes, an assent: Ze gaf haar ja.^[15][1]

Word family

• jabroer
• jawoord
• jaknikker
• ja-stemmer

Related words

• nee
• German ja
• English yea

Usage notes

Set phrases include nee heb je, ja kun je krijgen, “it costs nothing to ask”, overal ja en amen op zeggen, to agree to everything, and te ja of te nee, “make up your mind”.^[15][14] Laat uw ja ja zijn, en uw nee nee goes back to Matthew 5:37.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ 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. ^ a b c d e f 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
7. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Reinsma, R. (1999), Neologismen, Den Haag: Sdu
11. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
12. ^ a b Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
15. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers