klimmen

Forms

klimmen^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch climmen, inherited from Old Dutch *climban, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *klimban, inherited from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną, with ⟨mb⟩ assimilated to ⟨mm⟩.^[2][1][3] Middle Dutch had the more common form clemmen, which Kiliaan calls Flemish, with the /e/ regular before /m/ as in zwemmen, and in eastern texts the older clemben.^[4][5][6] The same verb is Middle Low German klimmen (also klimmeren), Old High German klimban (modern German klimmen) and Old English climban (modern English climb).^[2][7]

The origin is uncertain.^[2][7] The EWN suggests a nasal present Proto-Indo-European *glinbʰ- of the root *gleybʰ- (“to stick”), as in beklijven and kleven: one clings, as it were, to a steep wall or slope.^[2][1] Kroonen instead connects it with klemmen and reconstructs *glémbʰ-e-: the forms with ⟨mm⟩ and ⟨mp⟩ in the other languages go back to variants of the present, and “to climb” developed from “to clasp, clamp”.^[8] De Vries gives both explanations.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a Limburg gloss of 1240, ascendere: clemben, rendering Latin ascendere “to climb up”.^[9][2] An East Flemish text of 1260 tells of knights jumping into the moat om te climmene toten mure, “to climb to the wall”.^[9][2]

Semantic evolution

Already in the 13th century the verb meant “to rise” in general: a Brabant text of 1265 has a woman sing so that her voice rises, and it was used of Christ's ascension and of going to heaven after death.^[9][2] Of a person's standing it meant “to rise in esteem”: so man hoger klimt, so it vallen swarre is, “the higher one climbs, the harder the fall” (Lower Rhine, 1270).^[9] The MNW notes that the sense of working one's way up with hands and nails had moved into the background.^[5]

Sailors' language had klimmen for being condemned to hang, as Winschoten notes in 1681, and voorscheen klimmen for going up the mast with hands and shins.^[10] The plant name klimop “ivy”, from opklimmen, is recorded in 1599, replacing older names such as veil and klijf.^[2] The Flemish klemmen was used by non-Flemish writers too, Vondel among them in 1612, mostly in rhyme.^[3]

The verb passed to Afrikaans klim, Negerhollands klem and klim, and Sranan Tongo kren “to climb”.^[11][1]

Timeline

• 1240 – Clemben glosses Latin ascendere in Limburg.^[9][2]
• 1260 – Om te climmene toten mure “to climb to the wall”.^[9]
• 1265–1270 – The first date Van der Sijs 2001 gives for klimmen “to clamber”.^[12]
• 1270 – Hoger klimmen is used of rising in esteem.^[9]
• 1285 – Dat hi vp eenen boem clam “that he climbed a tree”.^[2][9]
• 1599 – The plant name klimop “ivy” is recorded.^[2]
• 1612 – Vondel uses the Flemish form klemmen.^[3]
• 1681 – Winschoten records klimmen “to be sentenced to hang”.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To climb, to move up a slope or over obstacles.^[13][1]
2. To go up, ascend.^[13][14]
3. To rise, become higher in rank or value.^[13]
4. Of plants: to grow up against something.^[13]
5. (cycling) To ride uphill.^[13]

Word family

• klim
• klimmer
• klimop
• klimplant
• klimroos
• klimpartij
• klimvogel
• afklimmen
• opklimmen
• beklimmen

Related words

• kleven
• beklijven
• klemmen
• English climb
• German klimmen

Usage notes

In de pen klimmen means to start writing.^[13] The Limburg village of Klimmen (Clumena, mid-11th century) has a name of uncertain origin, perhaps Romance columen “height”, though it has also been linked with the verb.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ 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
4. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 197
7. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
9. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Winschoten, Wigardus à (1681), Seeman: behelsende een grondige uitlegging van de Neederlandse konst- en spreekwoorden, voor soo veel die uit de seevaart sijn ontleend, Leiden
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
13. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
15. ^ Berkel, Gerald van; Samplonius, Kees (2018), Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard, Utrecht: Spectrum