Etymologically
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juist

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Pronunciation

Forms

juist (comparative juister, superlative meest juist or juistst)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch juust, borrowed from Old French juste (“exact, right”), from Latin iūstus (“just, righteous”), a derivative of iūs (“right, law”).[2][3][1][4] The French adjective meant “exact” from 1350 and “true” from 1595, and the sense “righteous” was taken straight from Latin.[2] The Dutch ⟨ui⟩ stands for the French ⟨u⟩, as in luister.[5]

The French word was also borrowed into German, Low German and Danish as just and into English as just.[5][6] Vercoullie traced the Latin noun to a root meaning “to bind”, the root of juk.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch juust is first recorded in Flanders in 1337–1382, of a measure that is fixed in the town as gherechte ende juuste, “correct and exact”.[2][8][9] The adverb juuste “exactly” follows in 1340, of keys that fit each other juust.[8]

Semantic evolution

About 1460 the adverb meant both “exactly” and “just at that moment”, in yuust te gemoet comt mi tserpent, “just then the serpent comes towards me”.[2][8] An emphatic use appears in 1587, and Kiliaan in 1599 gives juyst and just as “righteous”, a sense now dated.[2][6] The meaning “precisely, exactly the thing” is common by 1765, and “true, correct”, as of remarks or a claim, is recorded in 1867.[2][6]

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal records the adjective of a well-built person (1782) and of a fair judgement (1784), uses now obsolete.[6] In Belgium the word was also said with a French ⟨j⟩ as just, and northern popular speech had sjuust.[6]

Dutch passed the word to West Frisian just, German just “just now”, Swedish just “exactly” (from Dutch or Low German), Ambonese Malay yuist, Papiamentu yeistu and Sranan Tongo yoisti, and Afrikaans has juis.[10][1]

Timeline

  • 1337–1382 – Middle Dutch juust “correct, exact”, of a measure in Flanders.[2][8]
  • 1340 – The adverb juuste “exactly”.[8]
  • c. 1460 – Yuust “just at that moment”.[2][8]
  • 1587 – Iust as an emphatic particle.[2]
  • 1599 – Kiliaan gives juyst “righteous”.[2]
  • 1867 – Juist “true”, of remarks.[2][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. correct, true, right: het juiste antwoord.[11][1][12]
  2. Proper, fitting, as required: op het juiste moment.[11][6]
  3. Exact, precise: de juiste maat.[11][6]
  4. (dated) just, fair, in keeping with what is right.[11][6]

Adverb

  1. Exactly, precisely: dat is juist wat ik bedoel.[1][11]
  2. (formal) Just, a moment ago: hij is juist vertrokken.[11][1][12]
  3. Emphasising a contrast, on the contrary, actually: nee, ik vind het juist leuk.[1][12]

Word family

  • juistheid
  • onjuist
  • zojuist
  • justitie
  • English just
  • French juste

Usage notes

Dat is het hem nou juist means “that is exactly the problem”.[11] In the sense “a moment ago”, zojuist and net are more usual than plain juist.[11][1]

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 k 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. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  4. ^ 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
  7. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  8. ^ a b c d e f Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org