jagen

Forms

jagen^[1] The verb was weak at first, as the participle gejaagd shows; the strong past joeg, joegen, formed on the model of dragen, droeg, appears in the 16th century and is now the usual form.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch jāghen, inherited from Old Dutch *jagon, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *jagōn.^[1][2] The EWN reconstructs Proto-Germanic *jagōn-.^[2] The word is found only in continental West Germanic: Middle Low German jāgen (from which Old Norse jaga was borrowed), Old High German jagōn (modern German jagen) and Old Frisian jagia (modern West Frisian jeie).^[2][4][5] Old Dutch has the derivative jagere (“hunter”) in the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms;^[2][6] Franck–Van Wijk note that it there renders Latin fēnerātor (“moneylender”), which the translator read as vēnātor (“hunter”).^[5]

Its origin is unclear.^[2][7][8] Proposed links, for example with Indo-Iranian words for “restless” or Avestan yās- (“to desire”), are very doubtful, and the EWN and De Vries allow that the word may come from a local pre-Indo-European language.^[2][4] Kroonen sets up an iterative verb *jakk/gōn- (“to rush, to chase”) with /kk/ and /g/ alternating within the paradigm, which would account for Early Modern Dutch ⟨jacken⟩ “to rush” and jakkeren “to speed” beside ⟨jagen⟩; he takes “to hunt” to be a late sense grown out of “to rush” and “to chase”.^[9] Wiktionary follows this and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyǵʰ- (“to strive, to chase”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch iagen is first recorded in 1240 in Limburg, glossing Latin agitare “to drive, to chase”.^[10][2][11] A West Flemish text of 1287 speaks of hunting dogs chasing beasts in the wood.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Already in Middle Dutch jaghen was both transitive, “to pursue, to hunt”, and intransitive, “to be hunting”, with figurative senses such as “to hurry”, “to strive for” and “to drive along” (of the wind).^[2][4] It meant to drive people away or to spur them on to something (1285), and was paired with other verbs: jagen ende vlien “to pursue and to flee”, slaen ende jagen “to strike and chase”.^[10][12] About 1330 wat si willen ende jaghen means “what they want and strive after”.^[2]

The past participle gejaagd became an adjective: first nearly literal, of a hunted deer (1717) or fleeing game (1788), then “hurried, anxious” (1793).^[2] In the 20th century cyclists jagen when they raise the pace or chase the leaders (1987), and footballers when they harry an opponent in possession.^[13][14]

Dutch carried the verb overseas: Negerhollands jaag, Berbice Dutch jagi, Papiamentu yag and Sranan Tongo yagi (“to drive away”) have it, and Swedish jaga is from Dutch or Low German.^[15][1]

Timeline

• 1240 – Middle Dutch iagen is first recorded, glossing Latin agitare, in Limburg.^[10][11]
• 1285 – Jaghen is used for spurring people on to something.^[10]
• 1287 – A text speaks of hunting dogs chasing beasts in the wood.^[2]
• c. 1330 – Jaghen “to strive after” is recorded.^[2]
• 1567 – An early example of the strong past tense joeg is found.^[3]
• 1717 – Gejaagd is used of a hunted deer.^[2]
• 1793 – Gejaagd “hurried, anxious” is recorded.^[2]
• 1987 – Jagen is used of cyclists raising the pace.^[13]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hunt.^[14][1][3]
2. To go fast, to rush.^[14][1]
3. To drive or chase someone or something into a place or state.^[14][3]
4. To tow (a boat) from the bank.^[1][16]
5. (sports) To press the opponent in possession; to chase the leaders in a race.^[14][13]

Word family

• jacht
• jager
• gejaagd
• verjagen
• wegjagen
• opjagen
• najagen
• bejagen
• aanjagen
• afjagen
• voortjagen
• jaagtouw
• jaagpaard
• jaaglijn

Related words

• jakkeren

Usage notes

Jachten en jagen is to be always in a hurry.^[14] Iemand op zijn achterste zolder jagen is an older phrase for driving someone into a corner.^[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 m n o p 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 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 Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
7. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
8. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 178
9. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
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 Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
12. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
13. ^ a b c Coster, Marc de (1999), Woordenboek van neologismen: 25 jaar taalaanwinsten, Amsterdam: Contact
14. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
16. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
17. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme