jenever

Forms

jenever m (plural jenevers, diminutive jenevertje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch genever (also jenever, genuuere, jenuever), borrowed from Old French genevre (“juniper”), which developed from Latin iūniperus (“juniper”), also Late Latin ziniperus and giniperus.^[2][1][3] The French forms go back to Vulgar Latin *jeniperus.^[4][5][6] Franck–Van Wijk take the Dutch word from an older form of French genièvre, not from Old French genoivre, and the VMNW thinks the Middle Dutch ⟨ue⟩ forms point to a northern *jenuperus.^[7][8]

The further origin of the Latin word is unknown; the first part may be connected with iuncus (“rush”) and Old Norse einir (“juniper”).^[2] The loan displaced older native names for the shrub, such as those matching Old High German wëhhaltar (modern German Wacholder).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch genuuere first appears in a Limburg glossary of about 1240, glossing Latin juniperus; it meant the juniper berry, once also the shrub.^[8][2]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the word named only the juniper and its berry, whose medicinal use Van Maerlant already knew; a West Flemish text of 1287 has juniper boiled in clean water as a remedy.^[2][8] Spirits were then distilled from grapes and other fruit; grain spirits began only in the 16th century, and juniper berries added to them gave jeneverbrandewijn or jenever, first a medicine and, being cheap, soon a drink for everyone.^[2] Its record of 1606 is the oldest of the drink in Western Europe.^[2][9] The spellings genever and jenever long stood side by side until jenever prevailed in the early 20th century; the original /ʒ/ of French has become /j/ in the Netherlands, while Brabant kept the French sound.^[2][10] Colloquially it was janever or jannever, jokingly shortened to jan after the man's name.^[10]

In Zeeland, Zeelandic Flanders and Flanders jenever also names the redcurrant.^[10][2] The drink travelled: English took it as geneva in 1706, shortened to gin, which Dutch later borrowed back;^[2][5][11] Swedish has jenever (1734) and genever (about 1748), German Genever from 1876, and French genièvre took on the sense of the drink by 1762.^[2][5][11] Indonesian has jenewer, Papiamentu yanefer and Sranan Tongo yaneyfri.^[1][12]

Timeline

• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch genuuere glosses Latin juniperus.^[8][2]
• 1287 – Juniper berries are boiled as a remedy in a West Flemish text.^[8]
• 1606 – Genever is first recorded as the name of the spirit.^[2][9]
• 1672 – The earliest example of the drink sense known to the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal.^[10][13]
• 1706 – English geneva is first recorded.^[2][5][11]
• 1714 – English gin, shortened from geneva, appears.^[11]
• 1762 – French genièvre is used of the drink.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. jenever, Dutch gin: a spirit distilled from moutwijn with juniper berries.^[14][15][1]
2. (regional, Zeeland and Flanders) The redcurrant.^[10][2]

Word family

• aalbessenjenever
• bessenjenever
• jeneverbes
• jeneverboom
• jeneverstruik
• jeneverfles
• jeneverglas
• jeneverkruik

Related words

• gin
• English juniper

Usage notes

Jonge jenever has at most 15% malt wine, oude jenever 15 to 40%, which gives it a fuller taste.^[14] In Belgium the word is said with /ʒ/.^[1][10]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
4. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ a b c d e 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
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 179
14. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org